The Parliament demands that the underwater mountains of the Mallorca Channel be a Marine National Park

PalmaThe Parliament will demand that the Spanish government consider declaring the underwater mountains of the Mallorca Channel as a National Marine Park thanks to the approval of a Non-Legislative Proposal (PNL) by the PSIB in the Chamber's Economy Commission. All parties except Vox have voted in favor of this initiative to protect the underwater mountains located between Mallorca and the Pitiüses, "one of the most unique and valuable marine spaces in the western Mediterranean," according to the text of the PNL. It is a structure 275 kilometers long, with peaks reaching 94 meters in depth and habitats that extend to more than 1.2 kilometers. Les Olives, Ausiàs March, and Émile Baudot are the mountains that are part of these spaces, which host rhodolith beds (stone-shaped marine algae), corals, sponges, and deep-sea gorgonians.

"This initiative was brought to the Parliament plenary session in 2018 [it was defended by the Gent per Formentera deputy Sílvia Tur] and it was approved even though the PP abstained," explains PSIB deputy Pilar Carbonero, and she recalls that, at present, this space is part of the marine Natura 2000 Network. "It is good that steps are being taken, but more steps must be taken within the protection scale and work must be done for it to become a Natural Park," she adds. It should be noted that this would be the first exclusively marine Natural Park in the Balearic Islands.

"The presence of marine life at great depth has been detected. When an underwater mountain appears, it can be said that this life is brighter. These are areas that receive more light, where sea currents also favor life," explains marine biologist and environmental activist Xavier Pastor, who also points out that these mountains "are in the breeding zone of the bluefin tuna." This area and the Gulf of Mexico are the two most important ones in the world.

Environmentalism demands speed

"A national park should be possible, but the good intentions of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition sometimes clash with those of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries," continues Pastor. In favor of the declaration is the fact that in this area of the Mallorca Channel "there is almost no fishing" and that the PP has voted in favor of it (in 2018 they abstained). "There are many studies done, because we have been working on this for twenty years. The information is already there, and things must be done now as soon as possible," he declared.

The GOB has been one of the entities that has celebrated the approval of the initiative to protect the underwater mountains of the Mallorca Channel. "The approval of the PNL is a positive step, but by itself it does not imply the declaration of the Marine National Park," GOB pointed out through a statement, where it considers it "essential" that "the agreement has continuity and is translated into concrete actions by the competent administrations." "We demand that the Government convey this request as soon as possible and we ask the competent ministries to promote the necessary studies and procedures to advance towards its declaration as a Marine National Park," he added.