They claim to strengthen Maritime Rescue in the Balearic Islands given the increase in the arrival of makeshift boats
The union claims more staff, to renew the Salvamar boats and to deploy the SAR zone of the Islands in view of the increase in rescues and migratory pressure
PalmaCCOO has called this Monday for a reinforcement of the means of Maritime Rescue in the Balearic Islands to cope with the increase in the arrival of boats with migrants and the rise in rescue operations concentrated during the summer months. The union has also requested that the search and rescue (SAR) zone of the Archipelago be deployed and that both material and human resources be strengthened.
In a statement, CCOO points out that the Society of Maritime Rescue and Safety (Sasemar) needs to renew its fleet, especially the Salvamar boats, as well as the equipment used by staff. The union considers that the increase in migratory pressure and maritime activity during the summer causes an overload of work that requires strengthening the service.
According to data provided by CCOO, during 2025, 7,295 people arrived in the Balearic Islands on board 400 boats via the route between Algeria and the Archipelago, a figure that represents an increase of 27.3% compared to the previous year.
The union recalls that each boat intercepted in the SAR zone of the Balearic Islands carries, on average, about twenty people, which forces rescue operations to be activated more frequently and affects the rest periods of the crews.
To this situation is added, according to CCOO, the sharp increase in recreational maritime traffic during the months of July and August. This makes the Balearic Islands one of the areas with the most rescue operations coordinated from the Rescue Coordination Center (CCS) of Palma and executed by Maritime Rescue units.
The union also recalls that the Spanish SAR zone covers an area of 1.5 million square kilometers and that the Palma center coordinates a large sector of the Mediterranean that includes the entire Archipelago and borders the rescue zones of the Peninsula, Algeria, and France.
Finally, CCOO argues that migration by sea is "a structural problem" that requires greater commitment from the states of the European Union and calls for migrants to "be at the center of the response." In this regard, it urges Sasemar to adopt "proactive" policies to strengthen the service and improve both the working conditions and the physical and mental health of the staff involved in rescues.