Cabrera: Almost 60,000 hectares without fishing – what that means for Mallorca

Cabrera will become the largest fishery‑free marine zone in the western Mediterranean

At the pier of Colònia de Sant Jordi you can see the occasional fisherman with a thermos in hand, staring out at the blue line on the horizon and flicking a cigarette into the sea (of course not really, but the gesture is familiar). In these small harbours, between cutters and rowboats, people are talking about a plan meant to protect the seascape off our southern tip: In Cabrera National Park it is proposed to establish a strictly protected marine area without fishing, almost 60,000 hectares in size.

This area, which appears in drafts of the new management plan, would, according to the available information, be the largest protected zone of its kind in the western Mediterranean. The core idea is to better shield sensitive habitats and threatened species across a wide marine area from disturbances. Around the small ports you hear approval, but also questions: Who is affected, and who remains outside?

Important for Mallorca’s boat fishers to know: the area proposed as a no‑take zone is, according to the plans, not a traditional fishing ground of the Balearic fishing communities. Rather, it is an area predominantly used by boats from more distant regions. For many islanders this means: the daily fishing grounds off Portocolom or Pollença remain untouched.

What does such a large protected zone actually bring? From the perspective of divers, beachgoers and science, well‑protected marine areas are places where communities can recover: seagrass meadows can grow denser, fish can live longer and grow larger, and rare species gain refuges. This is not empty idealism but a long‑term investment in the quality of our coasts: cleaner water, more stable stocks, and more attractive underwater landscapes.

On the way to a decision is the new management plan, which is to be published before Christmas. The plan should regulate where boats may anchor, which activities are permitted and, indeed, where fishing will be banned. That details are still open is normal; authorities, conservationists and mariners must align the maps so the rules work in practice — not just on paper.

As an island resident I see it personally this way: in summer, when the ferries leave for Cabrera, tourists with cameras sit next to fishers repairing nets. If the marine world is healthier, both benefit. The sounds in the harbour — engines, gulls, the clink of lines — are the same. But the aim of letting nature breathe a little more changes the mood: a bit more respect, less greed.

Decisive for implementation will be how enforcement and science work together. Good monitoring, clear charts for mariners and information on site — for example at the harbour of Colònia — help to avoid conflicts. Tourists who want to charter a boat should in future check exactly which areas are off‑limits. Those who work at sea professionally need reliable transition periods and participation in the planning.

For Mallorca the signal is encouraging: a large, strictly protected area south of the island can strengthen biodiversity and improve coastal quality. This is not an end in itself, but something from which beach owners, the hospitality sector and excursion operators can also expect long‑term benefits. And who knows — maybe the next generation of locals will have more big fish to tell stories about when they sit on the quay in the evenings.

In short: the planned no‑take zone around Cabrera is an opportunity for the seas off Mallorca. Now it depends on the details in the management plan, on transparent charts and on joint local action so that a good idea becomes a functioning reality.