The Consell de Govern has approved the decree that establishes the marine reserve of the Toro and Malgrats islands. In this way, the extraction of marine flora and fauna and underwater activities are regulated. The marine reserves of the Toro and Malgrats islands were created in 2004 by the Govern. Until now, the total surface area of these two marine reserves of fishing interest was 227 hectares. With the unification and the extension up to the point of Cala Figuera, they reach 2,952 hectares, i.e. 13 times more than the current surface area.
The unification and extension of the marine reserve will extend over a larger area the recovery of the fishing resources that has taken place in the existing reserves, will cause a substantial increase in the commercial fish stocks in the southwest of Mallorca and will favour the fishing and artisanal sector and the economic activities related to fish watching.
In 2020, the Plenary of the Calvià Town Council urged the Government to initiate the process to unify and expand the current marine reserves. The reasons would be the good environmental status of Cala Rafaubetx cove and the existence of benthic habitats of great value, such as posidonia meadows and coraligenous formations, which may contain fish populations with diversity and biomass values much higher than those observed. The union of the two reserves may be the precedent for a future extension towards the bay of Palma and the islets of Sec and Porrassa, as requested by the Calvià Town Hall and some private conservationist entities, when the conditions are right.
Since its creation, the biomass has experienced extraordinary growth, and in some emblematic species such as the grouper and the corballo is, respectively, up to 52 and 284 times higher than 18 years ago on the island of El Toro. As for all fish species vulnerable to fishing, the biomass on the island of El Toro is the largest ever recorded at any point along the Balearic coast.
Mirador de las Malgrats.
Special diving zones
The decree also establishes the permitted extractive activities of flora and fauna, such as professional fishing by small fishing boats registered in the corresponding census and recreational fishing and recreational shellfishing. Recreational fishing from land between S’ Art cove and Morro de’n Feliu is prohibited. As for underwater activities, the decree establishes two special diving zones, one for the Toro island and the other for the Malgrats islands. Night dives are not allowed in either of them.
In the special diving zone of the Toro Island, located in the marine perimeter of the island, all types of sea fishing and extraction of marine flora and fauna are prohibited, with the exception of samples for scientific purposes and professional sea fishing of small gears such as stop gears, moray eels, at the point known as Clot des Moro, and the jonquillera between 1 January and 30 April.
In the special diving zone of the Malgrats Islands, located in the marine perimeter of the Malgrats Islands and Els Conills, it is also forbidden to fish or extract marine flora and fauna, except for samples for scientific purposes and professional fishing with stop, moruna or loose gear at its point known as Racó de s’Almadraba, the jonquillera between 1 January and 30 April. The use of the pot for cephalopods is also permitted between the 1st of October and the 31st of December, as is the use of the boat fly-fishing between the 1st of October and the 30th of April. Recreational shore angling with a maximum of one rod per angler is allowed between 1 January and 30 April. Fishing from the islets is prohibited.
The special diving zones establish specific points where diving may be carried out with a daily maximum. Thus, the Toro Island area has 6 specific points, which will have to be marked with buoys. Each point can be visited four times a day and by a maximum of 12 divers per visit. The maximum number of dives per day may in no case exceed 290 people, and there may never be more than 48 people diving simultaneously in the immediate surroundings of the Isla del Toro. The area of the Malgrats Islands will have 4 specific points, which will also have to be marked with buoys, and may be visited four times a day and also by a maximum of 12 divers per visit. The maximum number of dives per day may not exceed 192 people.
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