Lafuente defends in Nice a European fisheries policy that recognizes the reality of the Mediterranean and the heritage value of the sector

The Minister for the Sea and the Water Cycle of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Juan Manuel Lafuente, participated this Tuesday in the General Assembly of the Inter-Mediterranean Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CRPM), held in Nice (France), where he called for a European fisheries policy that adapts to the particularities of the Mediterranean and recognizes the social, economic and cultural dimension of the fishing sector.

During his intervention in the institutional session “Protecting the oceans from source to sea: an integrated and multilevel dialogue”, Lafuente claimed the experience of the Balearic Islands as a benchmark in marine conservation, highlighting the Government’s firm commitment to maintaining this position by integrating the fishing sector in the management of both fishing and protected marine areas.

The minister referred to the recent Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion Declaration on fishing, approved in April 2025, which highlights the essential role of the sector as part of a sustainable food chain in Europe and the Mediterranean basin. In this context, he pointed out that “sustainability cannot be built exclusively on the basis of biological calculations on maximum catches, but also taking into account the economic impact and the loss of social and cultural values ??that certain indiscriminate restrictions may entail”.

“Fishing in the Mediterranean is not just the activity of those who go out to sea to catch fish, but also a whole social, economic and cultural network that accompanies it: from the espetos of Malaga to the almadravas of Sicily, the prawns of Palamós or Sóller or the llampuga of Malta”, stated the minister, underlining the need for a balanced approach that takes into account the intangibles that are at stake in fisheries policies.

Lafuente defended the recognition of the insularity factor to adapt measures to the ecological and socio-economic particularities of territories such as the Balearic Islands. He also highlighted the work of the Euroregion as an example of effective cooperation to promote sustainable practices and convey the voice of the regions in the design of European policies. In this sense, he stressed that, just as common decisions are adopted on fishing, shared policies must also be promoted in the field of purification and cleaning of the sea, since these directly affect the health of ecosystems and, therefore, truly sustainable fishing.

The session was attended by officials from the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Union for the Mediterranean and networks of regions and cities such as MedCities or the Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion. Among the speakers were European Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, Ambassador Nasser Kamel, the Chair of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee, Carmen Crespo, and the President of the CPMR, Roberto Occhiuto.

Representing the Balearic Government, Xesca Ramis, Director General of Institutional Relations and Relations with Parliament, also attended the Assembly, who accompanied Minister Lafuente in the institutional meetings held within the framework of the event.