The fisheries authorities of the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community have taken a firm step towards reactivating the presence of the Alicante trawler fleet in the deep-sea fishing grounds of Ibiza and Formentera. After years of declining activity, both parties have resumed dialogue with a view to establishing a new framework that will facilitate the orderly return of mainland vessels to these waters.
The meeting, held in Ibiza, confirmed a genuine and shared interest between government agencies and the fishing industry in updating regulations and resolving the obstacles that have hampered this fishery in recent years. The aim is to reach a consensus on a proposal that can be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and officially endorsed through publication in the Official State Gazette.
Key meeting between the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community
The meeting was attended by the Director General of Fisheries for the Valencian Community, Miguel Castell, along with the Director General of Fisheries for the Balearic Islands, Antoni M. Grau , as well as a broad representation from the fishing sector in both autonomous communities. The meeting, considered very positive by those present, focused on exploring ways to revitalize trawling in the deep-sea fishing grounds around the Pitiusas Islands.
Representing the Valencian Community were the Provincial Federation of Fishermen's Guilds of Alicante , the head of the La Vila Joiosa fishermen's guild, and several shipowners with extensive experience in this type of fishing. From the Balearic Islands, the president of the Balearic Fishing Federation and representatives from the fishermen's guilds of San Antonio, Ibiza, and Formentera participated, allowing for a sharing of the needs and expectations of fleets with different realities but converging interests.
The Balearic and Valencian administrations agree that collaboration between island and mainland fleets can strengthen the sector's stability, optimize the use of deep-sea fishing grounds , and improve activity planning. Therefore, the objective is not a one-off agreement, but a revised framework that provides legal and operational certainty for vessels operating in these waters.
Those present emphasized that the discussions maintained a technical and pragmatic tone: the aim was to adapt the current regulations to the reality of the fleet , which has changed significantly since the current rules were approved. They also stressed the importance of any modifications being made in a consensual and coordinated manner with the relevant Ministry.
Expected benefits for the Alicante and Pitiusas fleet
Both administrations have expressed their agreement that the relocation of mainland trawlers to Ibiza and Formentera could be highly advantageous for both Valencian shipowners and the islands' fishing organizations. The arrival of Alicante-based vessels in the deep-water fishing grounds would allow for better utilization of authorized fishing opportunities.
For the Alicante fishing fleet, this alternative means diversifying fishing grounds and obtaining new fishing opportunities during periods when yields in other areas of the Mediterranean may be more limited. Shipowners see this option as a way to stabilize income and maintain economic activity linked to their home ports.
The fishing organizations of the Pitiusas Islands, for their part, believe that the orderly presence of these vessels can strengthen the organization of fishing efforts in deep waters , provided that the limits, schedules, and conditions established by regulations are maintained. The key, they emphasize, lies in combining economic activity with responsible resource management.
Both parties insist that this relaunch must be carried out in a way that is compatible with sustainability and strict compliance with current regulations , avoiding tensions between fleets and ensuring a balanced distribution of fishing effort. The aim is to integrate the arrival of the Alicante fleet without negatively impacting the activity of local vessels.
Regulatory framework: a current but outdated order
The activity of mainland trawlers in the deep waters of Ibiza and Formentera is currently regulated by Order 1728/2005, of June 3. This regulation establishes, among other aspects, the target species, permitted working hours, and the characteristics of the permissible fishing effort in these fishing grounds.
The order also includes a closed list of vessels authorized to operate in the area, from which a group is selected weekly to travel to the islands. Only these vessels are allowed to fish in the regulated deep waters, creating a controlled but inflexible system that doesn't adapt to the changing realities of the industry.
Over the years, this framework has fallen short in addressing the evolution of the fleet and economic conditions . Some vessels on the list have ceased operations, generational changes have occurred, and both fishing strategies and the needs of the fishing associations have changed, leaving the regulations outdated in several aspects.
The meeting in Ibiza focused precisely on identifying which adjustments are priorities for updating this order and adapting the list of vessels and the conditions for accessing deep-sea fishing grounds. The aim is not to completely repeal the system, but to revise it so that it is functional again and responds to the current situation of the Alicante fleet and the Balearic Islands.
Decline in activity and need for reactivation
In recent years, the fishery regulated by this order has registered a notable decline in activity in the deep waters of Ibiza and Formentera . Among the main causes cited is the obsolescence of the list of authorized vessels, which no longer accurately reflects the reality of the mainland fleet, especially that of Alicante.
Many shipowners have encountered practical difficulties in complying with the current regulations , either because their vessels are not on the initial list or because the weekly rotation system does not fit with their current fishing campaign plans. These obstacles have reduced the economic appeal of traveling to the Pitiusas Islands.
The industry also points to operational and coordination problems that have accumulated over time, which has meant that, despite the order formally remaining in force, the intensity of use of these fishing grounds has been lower than anticipated. In practice, the regulation has ceased to be a dynamic tool and has become an underutilized framework.
This context explains why there is now a shared interest in reactivating the activity in an orderly manner . Both the Alicante fleet and the island fishing organizations agree that the current situation is not optimal and that it is worthwhile to explore a regulatory update that will revitalize the fishery without compromising resource management.
The path towards an agreement and planned steps
Representatives from the fishing guilds and government agencies agree that the immediate goal is to finalize a consensus document outlining the necessary changes to the regulations and the list of authorized vessels. This document will then be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for review and potential approval.
The fishermen's guild of La Vila Joiosa has expressed its hope that the agreement can be drafted, presented, and approved before summer , so that the Alicante fleet has a clear timeline for planning its participation in the fishing season in the waters of Ibiza and Formentera. Although the deadlines ultimately depend on the Ministry, the sector is committed to moving forward quickly.
Once the Ministry approves the proposal, the new framework should be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) , providing legal certainty for shipowners interested in moving to deep-sea fishing grounds. Publication in the BOE would mark the beginning of a new era for trawling from Alicante in the Pitiusas Islands.
The meeting held in Ibiza is therefore interpreted as a solid first step towards relaunching this activity through cooperation between territories. If the negotiations are successful, the Alicante fleet could regain a significant role in these fishing grounds, while the Balearic fishing sector would strengthen its coordination with the mainland in an area of ​​strategic importance for the western Mediterranean.
This whole process points to a scenario in which the updating of regulations, the improvement of operations and institutional coordination can restore prominence to the Alicante trawling industry in the deep waters of Ibiza and Formentera, always under parameters of control and sustainability that allow the activity to be maintained in the long term.
