The llampuga capture campaign using the traditional llampuguera method will begin this Tuesday in the Balearic Islands and will last until December 31, marking the start of one of the most significant periods for artisanal fishing in the archipelago.
For the small-scale fishing fleet of the islands, this season is one of the most anticipated of the year, both due to the historical weight of this practice and the economic relevance it has for the entire Balearic fishing sector.
This time, 35 boats will participate in the fishery, all based in different ports of Mallorca, as detailed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment in an informative note.
During last year's campaign, 114,459 kilos of llampuga were landed, which represented an income of 646,273 euros for the sea professionals. It is usual that, throughout the entire season, the catches range between 80 and 120 tons, and for this year, the General Directorate of Fisheries expects results in line with those of 2023, both in volume and in revenue.
"The llampuga is a fishery deeply rooted in Mallorca and an important campaign for our artisanal fleet, both from an economic and social and cultural point of view. The goal is to continue making this traditional activity compatible with sustainable resource management that guarantees its future," said the minister in charge, Joan Simonet.
This is the third consecutive year that a specific total allowable catch (TAC) is applied for this species, a management tool with which the minister has expressed agreement. "This quota corresponds exclusively to vessels from the Balearic Islands, the only region in Spain where llampuga fishing with capcers and llampuguera is practiced," he explained.
Specifically, Regulation (EU) 2026/266, which determines for this year the fishing possibilities for certain populations and groups of fish populations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, sets for Spain a maximum effort of 45 vessels and a total allowable catch of 127 tons.
A practice with strong tradition in Mallorca
The Ministry has emphasized that llampuga fishing with llampuguera constitutes a traditional activity deeply rooted in Mallorca. Among the fishing brotherhoods, those of Cala Rajada and Alcúdia stand out for concentrating the largest volume of catches of this species.
The organization of producers OPMallorcaMar is responsible for regulating the activity of its members, setting a daily limit of 150 kilos of llampuga per professional vessel. In the recreational sphere, European regulations limit catches to a maximum of ten kilos or five specimens per person per day, of any size, during the period from August 15 to December 31.
The General Directorate of Fishing has insisted that the fishing of llampuga with the llampuguera gear is an activity reserved exclusively for professional fishermen of minor arts. The current regulation includes significant economic sanctions for both professional vessels of other modalities and recreational boats that catch llampuga less than 250 meters from the capcers used to concentrate the fish schools.