Fishing: The EU’s Macaronesia aims to protect 2 million square kilometers by 2030
The international MPA Canary Islands project held a strategic reflection session at the headquarters of the Fundación Universitaria de Las Palmas (FULP), focused on improving connectivity between marine protected areas in the region. The meeting brought together members of its Committee of Experts, representatives of the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, general directors of Azores and Madeira, and public officials from the Government of the Canary Islands. The central goal is to coordinate cooperation mechanisms among administrations, universities, businesses and citizens to expand protected marine spaces in the north-eastern and centre-eastern Atlantic.
The weight of the Outermost Regions (RUP)
The three archipelagos occupy a key geostrategic position by generating an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) close to two million square kilometers. This vast area places them in a fundamental position to help drive the maritime leadership of the European Union and to ensure the conservation of biodiversity in some of the most valuable ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean. The EU goal of protecting 30% of the marine space by 2030, according to the organizers, is an exacting challenge that requires providing management with solid scientific evidence.
Sustainability and the fishing sector
During the opening, Narvay Quintero, the councillor for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, argued that preserving the marine environment must be carried out alongside the development of the blue economy and the support of small-scale fishing. He stressed the need for a model that ensures an open dialogue between fishers, scientists and public managers, ensuring that conservation is not designed outside the perspective of the professionals who work at sea every day.
For her part, Julieta Schallenberg, the vice-councillor for Ecological Transition, Fight Against Climate Change and Energy, said that planning must be based on scientific knowledge to anticipate the effects of climate change and to strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems in the face of the common challenges facing the Macaronesia’s natural heritage.
The role of the Canary demarcation
The importance of the archipelago in the national context is significant. Octavio Llinás, the general coordinator of MPA Canary Islands, recalled that the Marine Demarcation of the Canary Islands covers approximately 50% of Spain’s EEZ. This territory hosts thousands of species, with a high level of endemic species, and natural conditions that make it a strategic area for meeting global environmental commitments. Llinás called for integrating into the process the institutions and social groups that have built up decades of experience defending the islands’ environment.
Alberto Cabré, president of the FULP, concluded by saying that the event represents progress toward consensus between the scientific and administrative sectors. Cabré emphasized that mutual cooperation is the only way to ensure that management of these protected areas is truly effective and guarantees the sustainability of resources for the future.
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