It should be remembered that, as fishing is prohibited for professionals at weekends, the first day on which boats can go out to sea will be Monday 26 August.

The ban on llampuga fishing will be lifted tomorrow, 25 August, and the campaign will run until 31 December. It should be remembered that, as fishing is prohibited for professionals at weekends, the first day on which boats will be able to go out to sea to fish will be this Monday, 26th August. This marks the start of one of the most eagerly awaited campaigns by the sector – and by consumers – due to the good commercial results it has brought the Balearic Islands’ small-scale fishermen.

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This Sunday, 25th August, the llampuga fishing season opens with ‘llampuguera’ until 31st December

There are up to 35 boats dedicated to llampuga fishing – the port of Cala Rajada being the most important, with seven boats. Last year a total of 99,486 kilos were caught, which brought in a total income of 592,376 euros for the sector. Catches usually range between 80 and 120 tonnes in the total season, and for this year, 2024, the forecast is similar to last year’s in terms of catches and income.

In this regard, it should be remembered that this year Regulation (EU) 2024/259 came into force, which sets the fishing opportunities applicable to certain fish stocks and population groups in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea for 2024, and establishes a maximum effort of 45 boats for Spain, and total allowable catches (TACs) of 127 tonnes. ‘This is the first time there has been a TAC, but we have to say that we agree with the measure. Moreover, we have participated in the elaboration of the final document through the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). This committee ruled that the llampuga stock in the Mediterranean is in a good state of conservation and that its fishing is sustainable,’ explained the director general of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau. Regulation (EU) 2024/259 also affects recreational fishing, setting a maximum quota of 10 kilos or five fish of any size per person per day, and in the period between 15 August and 31 December.

This type of fishing, using the ‘llampuguera’ technique, is a traditional activity on the island of Mallorca, with the Cala Rajada and Alcúdia fishermen’s associations being the most important in terms of catches. The Producers’ Organisation OPMallorcaMar, for its part, regulates the catches of its members, establishing a maximum daily catch of 150 kilos of llampuga per boat.

Fishing for llampuga with llampuguera is exclusive to professional fishermen using small-scale fishing gear, which is why the regulation provides for significant financial penalties for professional vessels of other types or for recreational vessels fishing at a distance of less than 250 metres from the capcers where the fish are concentrated.