Island council tightens rules against the blue crab — is it enough?

Island council tightens rules against the blue crab — is it enough?

New freedom to catch, more gear, five-year validity: Between hope and everyday reality

At the Santa Catalina market it smells of fresh fish, the wind carries seagull cries over the rooftops — and on the quay below the Plaza Gran, a taxi driver is arguing with a hobby angler about the new rule from the Consell de Mallorca. From 2026 the so-called blue crab should be allowed to be caught in nearly all waters, only strictly protected natural areas remain off-limits. In addition, fishing rods, nets and grabbers are officially permitted. The regulation is valid until 2030.

These are tangible measures against an invasive species that has been bothering the bays and harbors for several years. Figures given by the island council: Since 2020 more than a thousand recreational anglers have caught around 15,000 animals. For many locals that sounds like a contribution to protecting native ecosystems — but also like a measure that leaves questions unanswered.

Key question: Are the permission and expanded equipment enough to really bring the blue crab under control — or does the policy merely shift the problem into the day-to-day operations of coastal towns?

Analysis: The expansion of allowed fishing methods is practical. An angler with a grabber on the pier of Port de Pollença is faster than a state-appointed team. But efficiency is not everything: so far there are no rules for catch quotas, reporting obligations or disposal. Without central data collection, authorities hardly know how populations develop over time. It also remains unclear how commercial and recreational fishers will be coordinated — and whether unintended bycatch of protected species will be prevented.

What is missing in the public discourse: concrete controls, regular monitoring programs and clear guidance on how caught animals should be handled. On information boards at popular beaches it may soon read "Blue crabs allowed" — but not whether animals should be left alive, killed, reported or where to take dead specimens. The economic side is hardly discussed either: sale or utilization are legally tricky and could create unwanted markets.

An everyday scene: On a cold morning along Cala Major a woman in rubber boots drags a small net through the shallow water. She does it not for the joy of the catch, but because her neighbor discovered a crab infestation on the boat pile last week. Such local efforts show that the solution often begins on site — with neighbors, shops and small groups, not only with regulations in the town hall.

Concrete solutions needed now:

1. Reporting and data platform: A simple app or telephone hotline where catches can be reported with location, date and quantity. This creates reliable population data and integrates recreational fishers.

2. Clear utilization rules: Guidelines on whether and how the animals may be used or disposed of safely — this prevents illegal marketing and unhygienic practices.

3. On-site training: Free workshops in harbors and on beaches: how to identify the blue crab, how to handle it in an animal-welfare-compliant way and which gear is suitable.

4. Cooperation model with commercial fishers: Incentives for commercial fishers to carry out targeted removal operations, for example through premiums or disposal support.

5. Clear zoning and signage: Whoever fishes at Cala d’Or or in the Bay of Alcúdia should immediately see which areas are off-limits. Protected areas need visible boundaries and controls.

Conclusion: The Consell's new regulation is not a false start — it brings momentum to a real problem. But in the alleys of Palma and on the quaysides people express more satisfaction with manageability than with completeness. If the administration now includes traceability, utilization and training, a good idea can become a practical concept. Otherwise the measure risks becoming a well-intentioned but patchy respite.