A €60,000 fine was imposed on a boat fishing in the Levante Marine Reserve in Mallorca.

PalmThe Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment will open a sanctioning procedure against a professional fishing vessel for fishing in the Levante de Mallorca Marine Reserve, which could result in a fine of up to €60,000 and the revocation of its license.

This procedure was initiated after it was detected that this fishing vessel, based in Cala Rajada, was setting longlines within the protected area. In a statement, the Regional Ministry explained that the violation was established thanks to signals from the VMS tracking device (known as the green box), which is mandatory for the entire fleet based in the Balearic Islands. In fact, the vessel had already been the subject of previous suspicions for irregular behavior.

In addition to this sanction for violating Law 6/2013 on fishing, shellfish harvesting, and aquaculture in the Balearic Islands, a copy of the inspectors' report has also been sent to the General Secretariat for Sustainable Fishing of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, as this has also been confirmed.

The Director General of Fisheries of the Government, Antoni M. Grau, has pointed out that fishing in integral reserve zones is "totally prohibited" and constitutes "a serious offense." "This type of practice, in addition to being an infraction, is a mockery of other professional fishermen, most of whom are committed to the conservation of marine resources and sustainable fishing. For this reason, the Government acts firmly and consistently at any sign of fishing in integral zones," he argued.

The Levante de Mallorca Marine Reserve was declared by the Government in March 2007 at the proposal of the Cala Rajada Fishermen's Association. This reserve occupies 4,657 marine hectares, of which 1,900 are an integral reserve. Subsequently, the State created the Levante de Mallorca-Cala Rajada Marine Reserve of Fishing Interest, with 6,646 hectares, 103 of which are under special protection.

The area is home to a great diversity of habitats and species, with up to 32 marine communities and more than 900 recorded species, including algae, fish, and mollusks. Of particular note are the oceanic posidonia meadows and coral reefs, key ecosystems for marine biodiversity. Professional artisanal boats from the Alcudia and Cala Rajada associations operate in the reserve, as well as recreational boats from nearby ports.