New Protected Marine Species in the Mediterranean: What Changes for the Fishing Sector in 2026

Key data

If you fish in Spanish Mediterranean waters and catch sharks or rays, this regulation affects you directly. The amendments to the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity (SPA/BD) of the Barcelona Convention, adopted in Cairo on December 5, 2025 and published in the BOE on June 25, 2026, significantly expand the list of marine species under maximum protection in the Mediterranean.

Spain was an active party in the negotiation: one of the newly incorporated species, Foraminospongia balearica, is a proposal of Spanish origin. The amendments enter into force 60 days after formal notification by the Depositary of the Convention.

What does this regulation establish?

The SPA/BD Protocol of the Barcelona Convention classifies Mediterranean marine species into two annexes with different protection levels:

• Annex II: Endangered or threatened species. They require the strictest conservation measures. Capture, possession, commercialization or disturbance are subject to prohibitions or severe restrictions.
• Annex III: Species whose exploitation is regulated. They may be captured under specific conditions, but with limits and controls.

The amendments approved in Cairo produce two types of concrete changes:

New species incorporated into Annex II

Species moving from Annex III to Annex II

Four species of cartilaginous fish (sharks and/or rays) move from the regulated exploitation regime to the threatened species regime, which implies a qualitative leap in the required protection level. The published data do not detail the exact taxonomic names of these four species.

For all Annex II species, the States parties—including Spain—are obliged to adopt effective national implementation measures. This translates into fishing regulation, management plans and, potentially, fishing bans or capture restrictions at the national level.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not immediate in the form of a fine or fee, but it does generate operational obligations with real economic consequences for the sector:

• Capture restrictions: Fleets that incidentally or deliberately catch species now included in Annex II will have to review their fishing gear, fishing areas and sea return protocols.
• Greater administrative burden: Shipowners and fishing skippers may be required to document incidental catches, comply with new management plans or request specific authorizations.
• Risk of sanctions: Once Spain transfers these obligations to national regulations, the capture, retention on board or commercialization of these species without authorization may result in sanctions under Spanish fishing and biodiversity legislation.
• Impact on aquaculture: Aquaculture companies working with related species or in habitat areas of protected species will have to review their activity plans.

The most relevant change from an operational perspective is the transfer of 4 cartilaginous fish from Annex III to Annex II: these species could previously be caught with regulation; now they move to the maximum protection regime, which may imply an effective prohibition on capture.

Who does it affect?

• Shipowners and fishing skippers who fish in Spanish Mediterranean waters, especially those using trawling, bottom longline or gillnets that may catch sharks, rays or sponges.
• Fishing guilds on the Mediterranean coast (Catalonia, Valencian Community, Region of Murcia, eastern Andalusia, Balearic Islands).
• Marine aquaculture companies with facilities in the Mediterranean that may interact with the habitats of protected species.
• Regional environmental administrations responsible for implementing the conservation measures required by the Protocol.
• Exporters and importers of fishing products that include now-protected species, as their commercialization may be restricted.

Practical example

A bottom longline shipowner based in Alicante who fishes in Mediterranean waters incidentally catches deep-sea sharks with some frequency. Until now, if any of those species was in Annex III, he could retain it on board under regulated quota.

With the new amendments, if any of those species has moved to Annex II—as is the case with the 4 cartilaginous fish species that change category—retention on board becomes prohibited or subject to special authorization. The shipowner will have to:

1. Identify whether the species he incidentally catches are now in Annex II.
2. Adapt his sea return protocol ("discard") for those species.
3. Document incidental catches as required by Spanish transposition regulations.
4. Consult with his guild or the regional fishing administration if he needs to modify his fishing plan.

The same applies to a trawler operating on bottoms where the now-protected sponges live, including Foraminospongia balearica in Balearic waters.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify affected species: Review whether the species caught (deliberately or incidentally) in routine activity match the 9 new additions to Annex II or the 4 that increase in category.
2. Consult the fishing administration: Contact the General Secretariat of Fisheries or the competent regional department to learn about the national implementation measures Spain will adopt.
3. Review gear and fishing areas: Evaluate whether the gear used and fishing areas generate incidental catches of now-protected species, and study alternatives.
4. Update discard protocols: Establish clear procedures for returning Annex II species caught incidentally to the sea, minimizing mortality.
5. Monitor national transposition: Protocol obligations must be transferred to Spanish regulations. Stay alert to new resolutions, ministerial orders or management plans that develop these amendments.
6. Document and record: Maintain updated records of incidental catches of protected species, as the administration may require them during inspections.

Official source

Consult complete regulations at official source (BOE-A-2026-13756)

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-13756