Balearic president Marga Prohens, announced today, Tuesday, a ban on the tourist rental of private boats in the Balearics through an urgent amendment to the nautical charter decree that will be approved by the regional government on Friday. The measure has been adopted in response to the state regulation that allows private boats to operate commercially for three months a year, something that the Balearic government completely rejects due to its impact on sustainability and maritime safety, especially in a territory with high nautical pressure such as the Balearics.
Prohens explained after participating in the Mesá Náutica (Nautical committee) that the new decree will keep rentals restricted to professional boats and will prevent private boats from temporarily changing their use to operate commercially. The president stressed that the saturation of the coastline and the shortage of moorings prevent the dual use of port berths, where there are more than 7,000 pending applications, and stated that commercial activity should only take place in expressly authorised areas.
Ports IB, the public company that manages the regional ports, has already approved a resolution prohibiting the commercial use of moorings granted to private individuals and has required concessionaires to submit a detailed report on the distribution of uses at their facilities within a maximum period of ten days.
The regional government believes that its decision guarantees a model of coastal management based on sustainability, public control of port resources and the defence of the Balearics’ autonomy against state decisions that do not reflect the reality of the islands.
The PSOE Socialist party announced on Monday that the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility would amend the regulations so that the authorisation of private boat rentals for tourist use would not affect the Balearics from next season onwards.