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Fishing boats docking in Menorca

Balearic Islands improve fishing grounds management with ‘green boxes’

Balearic Islands improve fishing grounds management with ‘green boxes’

These devices help the authorities monitor the state of resources and counteract illegal fishing

This year, the regional authorities of the Balearic Islands (Spain) are expanding a project to equip as many of the smaller fishing vessels operating on the territory of the region with the so-called ‘green boxes’.

These are smart devices that send information on the whereabouts of the boat and thus provide for the accumulation of data, such as the viability of fishing grounds and the movements of the fishermen. For the small-scale fleets, it provides a tool and sense of security, the kind previously available to airplanes through radar control.

Improved management of fishing resources

The green boxes are places free of charge for the fishermen. These devices, which include a solar panel to avoid loss of power issues, provide data such as the identification of the ship, the geographical position, the course and speed, and the date and time of the geographical position. 

In this way, it will be possible to know the productivity of the fishing grounds, also in protected areas, as well as the management and scheduling of fleets to optimize the work. The information will be a fundamental tool for the development and execution of policies for the conservation of resources and management of the fishing sector.

Last year, 77 small-scale vessels in Ibiza and Formentera, and 23 vessels in the Colònia de Sant Jordi (Mallorca) received the green boxes. This year, the Balearic General Directorate of Fisheries and the Marine Environment plans to equip another 50 boats from the island of Menorca, and just as many from the larger island of Mallorca.

The innovative practice itself started back in 2004 in the region of Andalucia and it was considered a success. The authorities there invited the fishermen to volunteer for the experiment and today 97% of the regional small-scale fleet is equipped with green boxes.

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