The group promoting the Forum began its round of meetings with administrations this Monday to move from diagnosis to action
Ibiza, 19/01/2026 – The promoting team of Ibiza and Formentera Marine Forum 2025 held a meeting this Monday with Rafael Centenera, head of the fisheries area of the General Sub-Directorate of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity, and with Francisco Guil, Head of the Marine Protected Areas of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) of the Government of Spain, with the aim of promoting the application of the 26 priority measures agreed upon by specialists and institutional representatives during the last edition of the Forum —held in October 2025— to advance more effective protection of the marine environment and, in particular, of seagrass meadows Posidonia oceanica.
On behalf of the Marine Forum, the meeting was attended by Dr. Inma Saranova , director of IbizaPreservation , representing the Forum’s promoting team – which also includes Fundación Pacha, Trasmapi, Insotel, Marina Ibiza, OD Group, The White Angel, Fundación Marilles and Vellmarí – and Dr. Esteban Morelle-Hungría , professor at the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón and director of the IbizaPreservation Classroom of Blue Crime at the UJI.
The meeting continues the work developed in the technical working groups of the last edition of the Ibiza and Formentera Marine Forum , from which the document “ Conclusions and Technical Measures of the Ibiza and Formentera Marine Forum 2025 ” emerged, which was sent to the competent authorities at the end of last year.. In this context, the promoting team has informed the Ministry a technical roadmap aimed at moving “from diagnosis to action”, Strengthening coordination between administrations and decision-making based on scientific evidence. The aim, as explained by the Forum, is for the recommendations to be translated into operational and measurable measures that allow to reduce pressures on the marine ecosystem, improve water quality and ensure the conservation of a key habitat due to its ecological value and its role in combating climate change.
During the meeting, the main lines of action included in the document were discussed, ranging from the need to strengthen the monitoring of the state of the marine environment and improve the capacity to respond to impacts, to actions to reduce pollution —including spills, microplastics, and other emerging substances— and improving sanitation infrastructure and management. The importance of making progress in a Effective regulation and control of anchoring to minimize physical damage to seagrass meadows, together with coastal planning and management measures that take into account the actual carrying capacity of the environment and the protection of sensitive habitats.
Among other measures, technical recognition of the Forum’s proposal document has been requested, along with a collaborative framework to assess the feasibility of state-level measures within its jurisdiction, including institutional support where needed . As a result of the meeting, both parties agreed on the need to maintain a working and follow-up channel. which will allow for the implementation of the next steps in coordination, prioritization, and evaluation of measures within the framework of the corresponding competencies. The promoting team has emphasized the urgency of accelerate implementation, especially in those actions with a direct impact on water quality and the integrity of Posidonia meadows.
“This meeting is an important step in turning a broad technical consensus into concrete and coordinated actions between administrations, because the health of the Balearic Sea and the conservation of Posidonia cannot be delayed,” Inma Saranova pointed out.. Along the same lines, Esteban Morelle-Hungría highlighted that “the measures included in the document provide a solid and prioritized technical basis to guide public decisions with indicators and monitoring, which is what will allow us to verify results and correct them in time.”
These measures will also be sent shortly to the General Secretariat for Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Furthermore, the promoting team will continue throughout January and February with a round of meetings already planned with representatives of the regional, island and local administrations , including the Government of the Balearic Islands , the Island Councils of Ibiza and Formentera and several municipalities of Ibiza , in order to convey the recommendations and promote their implementation within the scope of competence of each institution.
The Ibiza and Formentera Marine Forum is a working group that brings together organizations, specialists, and institutional representatives to promote science-based and cooperative solutions aimed at marine conservation and more sustainable coastal management. The technical document produced from the 2025 working groups includes a package of prioritized measures to strengthen the resilience of the marine ecosystem, improve governance and ensure the comprehensive protection of Posidonia oceanica .
