They demand a network of marine sanctuaries that covers 10% of the Balearic sea

More than 150 companies and entities -from hotel chains to environmental groups- have joined the Balearic Blue Pact, an initiative for the recovery of the sea on the islands. The initiative, promoted by the Marilles Foundation, was presented in the local Parliament in March and aims to take flight in the coming months.

“Everyone agrees that a sea full of life makes the experience more satisfying for sailors, tourists, fishermen or the public,” says Aniol Esteban, director of the Marilles Foundation, which aspires to turn the Balearic Islands into a world reference in marine conservation.

The Mallorca Hotel Federation, the Association of Builders of the Balearic Islands, the Meliá chain, the Trasmapi ferry company, Caixabank, Iberostar, GrupRiu, Caixabank, Irberostar, Camper, Marina Ibiza or the environmental groups WWF and GOB have made public this week their adherence to the Blue Pact, demanding that politicians comply with five commitments with the sea and the coasts.

The first objective is to create a network of marine sanctuaries that covers 10% of the Balearic sea. The second is the implementation of plans for the conservation and recovery of vulnerable habitats and species.. The guarantee of sustainable fishing, the improvement of the quality of coastal waters and the investment of a minimum of 1% of public budgets in marine conservation are also requested.

“The diversity of actors who have supported the Balearic Blue Pact sends a very clear message to the future governments of the islands: we want more action to protect the sea and a firm commitment to concrete measures”, warns Aniol Esteban. “Marine conservation is everyone's responsibility that does not understand partisanship.”

Anion Esteban (Barcelona, 1975) arrived in Mallorca in 2018 with his background as a marine biologist and specialist in sustainable fishing at the New Economic Foundation (NEF) in London. His aspiration since then has been to turn the Marilles Foundation into a catalyst for change towards a model that builds bridges between economic progress and protection of the sea.

In his opinion, the stoppage of the pandemic revealed “the vulnerability of the Balearic economy” and the need to turn around the most affected sectors, starting with tourism. “In 2019, the president of a large hotel chain already said that Mallorca was saturated,” recalls Esteban. “The message is to grow in value and not in quantity, and to lend a hand to companies that want to change.”

The Marilles Foundation has worked hand in hand with the fishing associations, “which have supported the creation of marine reserves and have developed brands to value the product”. “The Balearic fleet has everything to become a benchmark for sustainability in the Mediterranean,” says Aniol Esteban, convinced that the “blue pact” can be replicated and extended to the entire peninsular geography.

“It is very encouraging to see that so many companies and sectors that for years have expressed their concern for marine conservation make their support visible and join this common clamor to protect one of our greatest treasures,” concludes the activist and biologist.