Action D1. Vigilance of the marine reserves.
Partner: Direcció general de Pesca.

Aims:
Three surveillance teams were put together, each one integrated by one person in charge and two guards. Each team is responsible for ensuring that reserve areas are respected, that unauthorized fishing does not take place and that the norms, rules and regulations of the Management Plans are complied with.

Areas under surveillance are : the present Marine Reserves, the Marine Reserve of the Bay of Palma, the Marine Reserve of the of North Minorca, and the Marine Reserve of dels Freus of Ibiza and Formentara. To these must be added the future reserves in the SW, SE, and NE of Majorca.

Development:
In the Balearic islands there are 4 marine reserves. Three of them were created in 1999, with an approximate extension of 20,000 hectares, and with the triple aim of preserving marine biodiversity, protecting species and habitats, and maintaining fishing activities. The three previously created areas are the Marine Reserve of the Bay of Palma, the Marine Reserve of the North of Minorca, and the Marine Reserve of dels Freus of Ibiza and Formentera. As a result of Action A.2, a new reserve was created: the Marine Reserve of Migjorn comprising 22,000 H. ,and a further new marine reserve in Majorca is underway.
The Posidonia oceanica fields are one of the marine communities whose protection is a priority in fields situated within marine reserves, as well as in fields situated within SCI areas of the Balearics. One of the principal dangers to which the fields are exposed is that of physical damage caused by trawler fishing methods and yacht anchoring, as both activities can destroy large areas of the fields. Present legislation protects Posidonia fields all along the coastlines by prohibiting trawler fishing in water less than 50 metres deep. Besides this general protection of the fields, and in order to further protect them from possible physical damage, certain areas in each of the marine reserves have been marked as strictly off-limits for any and all kind of activity over the P.fields.

Thus, the off-limits area for each of the reserves was established as follows:
- Marine Reserve of the Bay of Palma: 200 H
- Marine Reserve of the Freus of Ibiza and Formentera: 447 H
- Marine Reserve of the North of Minorca: 1.300 H

One of the most important points to be included in any management plan is , obviously, to make provisions for the adequate surveillance of the protected areas. For the correct execution of Action D1., a suitable surveillance system was set up for the existent marine reserves and for future reserves.

Effective surveillance of the three pre-existing reserves was put in action in 2002, and since 2003 the new reserve is also being effectively guarded.

At present there are four surveillance teams (one for each of the reserves established in 1999 plus another for the new reserve), all provided with the means with which to carry out their work.
The tasks for surveillance team members include not only the control of fishing activities but also a constant control for the express purpose of protecting Posidonia oceanica:

--Ensuring that the present legislation on trawler fishing in water less than 50 metres deep is complied with.
--Controlling where yachts anchor in order to make sure that they do so only in the areas expressly provided and which exclude Posidonia fields.
--Keeping strict vigilance of the special off-limit areas marked within the reserves and in which all type of activity over marine phanerograms is forbidden.
--Collaborating in the periodic controls of the fields situated in the marine reserves and other adjacent SCI areas, in cooperation with Action E.4.
--Collaborating with any technical studies or research activities undertaken by public organizations / institutions in the fields situated within the marine reserves and adjacent SCI areas.

Here follow the data gleaned from what the surveillance team members observed during the first two years:

MARINE RESERVE OF THE BAY OF PALMA

Year 2003

The guards confirmed 4,388 observations, of which 1,661 corresponded to instances of yacht anchoring and 0 corresponded to instances of illegal trawler fishing.
Figure 1. Map of the frequency of observations relative to yacht anchoring in the Reserve of the Bay of Palma during the year 2002.

Year 2003

The guards confirmed 4,691 observations, of which 1,414 corresponded to instances of yacht anchoring and 0 corresponded to instance of illegal trawler fishing.

Thanks to the work carried out by surveillance team members relative to yacht anchoring, it has been possible to draw up maps reflecting the frequency with which yachts do in fact anchor.

Reserve guards have collaborated since 2002 in the control of Posidonia fields together with Action E:4, and these collaborations affect the fields situated within the marine reserve, as well as adjacent SCI areas. They participated in work carried out at 4 control stations, 2 of which are situated within the marine reserve.
Image 1
MARINE RESERVE OF DELS FREUS OF IBIZA AND FORMENTERA

Year 2003

The guards have confirmed 6,857 observations, of which 256 correspond to instances of yacht anchoring ad 0 to instances of illegal trawler fishing.

At this marine reserve the guards have collaborated since 2002 in the control of Posidonia fields in collaboration with Action E.4. They participated in work carried out at 2 control stations situated within the marine reserve and in the adjacent SCI area of Cap de Barbaria (ES5310025).
Image 2
MARINE RESERVE OF THE NORTH OF MINORCA

Year 2002

The data compiled do not encompass the whole of the year but rather half a year. The guards confirmed 534 observations, of which 399 corresponded to instances of yacht anchoring and 0 to instances of illegal trawler fishing.

Year 2003

The guards confirmed 5,832 observations, of which 1,798 corresponded to instances of yacht anchoring and 0 to instances of illegal trawler fishing.
Figure 2. Map of the frequency of observations relative to yacht anchoring in the Reserve of the North of Minorca during 2003.

In this reserve there is an important anchoring area, the Bay of Fornells. It has been confirmed that the task carried out by the surveillance team has had a clear influence on the anchoring of yachts.

At this marine reserve the guards have collaborated since 2002 in the control of Posidonia fields in collaboration with Action E.4. They participated in work carried out at 6 control stations, 3 of which are situated within the marine reserve and a further 3 which are situated in adjacent SCI areas such as those of s’Albufera des Grau (ES0000234) and d’Addadia at s’Albufera (ES0000233).
Image 3
MARINE RESERVE OF MIGJORN

Year 2003

The guards confirmed 5,963 observations, of which 1,386 corresponded to yacht anchoring and 0 to illegal trawler fishing.

At this marine reserve the guards have collaborated since 2003 in the control of Posidonia fields in collaboration with Action E.4. For the moment work is carried out at 1 control station situated within the marine reserve.