Marilles Foundation backs Illa de l’Aire Marine Reserve participative project

Menorca Preservation, with the support of Marilles Foundation, is continuing the participatory governance project in 2026 to strengthen the forum as a space for dialogue and collective action for the Illa de l’Aire Marine Reserve

Menorca Preservation, with the support of Marilles Foundation, is continuing the social and participatory governance project for the Illa de l’Aire Marine Reserve (RMIA) throughout 2026. The aim is to consolidate the process launched in previous years and continue advancing towards a more open, inclusive and effective management model for this protected marine area.

Rebecca Morris, Director of Menorca Preservation, said: “The support of Marilles Foundation is essential in helping us continue strengthening this project and consolidating a network of people and organisations committed to the future of the Illa de l’Aire Marine Reserve. At Menorca Preservation, we believe participation and collaborative work are fundamental to building long-term solutions to protect Menorca’s marine heritage.”

Following an initial strategic planning phase and a second phase focused on launching the participatory forum, the project is now entering a consolidation stage, where participation spaces will be strengthened and concrete actions emerging from the community itself will be promoted.

Consolidating the process and launching new actions

Continuing the project throughout 2026 will allow the team to follow up on existing lines of work and further activate the working groups. Planned activities for the coming months include:

• A coastal clean-up day on Illa de l’Aire in May
• A recreational fishing workshop and discussion event in June
• The launch of the project’s new website in July

One of the key priorities during this new phase will be engagement with the recreational fishing sector, a major stakeholder in the use and management of the marine reserve.

The event planned for June will provide a space to share and discuss the current state of recreational fishing in Menorca, how it has evolved in recent years, and the management measures currently in place both across the island and within marine reserves.

The session will also showcase examples where public participation has helped generate agreements and improve regulations, encouraging dialogue between fishers, public administrations and other relevant stakeholders.

These actions form part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening knowledge, communication and participation around the marine reserve.

Aniol Esteban, Director of Marilles Foundation, said: “At Marilles Foundation, we have spent many years working to make marine governance projects a reality in the Balearic Islands by promoting spaces where local communities can play an active role in sea management. Marine reserves have proven to be a key tool for restoring marine life and increasing fish abundance, generating ecological, social and economic benefits. The Illa de l’Aire project shows how sustained effort over time and collaboration between stakeholders can help consolidate more participatory and effective management models.”

Communication and access to information

Another key focus of this new phase will be the development of communication tools to improve access to information and strengthen transparency throughout the process.

The project’s new website will become a central hub for sharing information, tracking progress and opening the process to new individuals and organisations interested in getting involved.

In parallel, the forum’s working groups are developing communication and educational materials tailored to different audiences to improve understanding of the marine reserve, its regulations and its environmental values, making information easier to understand and apply in everyday practice.

These initiatives aim not only to inform but also to encourage shared responsibility and promote good practices among the different users of the marine environment.

The project has also developed its own identity through the Fòrum Illa de l’Aire, defined collaboratively, alongside outreach materials designed to communicate the natural and social values of the reserve to the wider community.

An open and evolving project

The RMIA participatory governance project is conceived as a living and evolving process, open to community involvement and designed to create a solid, agile and effective participation structure that contributes to improved management of the marine reserve.

Aina Blanco-Magadán Salvà, Project Coordinator, said: “This new phase allows us to consolidate a shared space for dialogue and collaborative work, where the community can actively engage in conserving the Illa de l’Aire Marine Reserve and help build shared solutions.”

A participatory forum already underway

The first RMIA Participatory Governance Forum took place in February 2025, bringing together more than 40 people from different sectors — including local communities, public administrations, environmental organisations, fisheries representatives and scientists — to establish this collective working space and define its first lines of action.

The forum was created as an open, multi-sector platform to share challenges, generate proposals and promote actions responding to local needs, while strengthening the active role of the community in decision-making related to the Sant Lluís coastline.

Throughout 2025, the project helped consolidate an active community around the RMIA, involving more than 40 forum members and over 70 participants in workshops and activities, alongside the participation of numerous public and civil society organisations.

Actions already delivered include clean-up days on Illa de l’Aire, underwater photography workshops and science communication activities in collaboration with MARE, as well as community-led initiatives that have strengthened connections between local people and this natural area.

The project has also contributed to the implementation of concrete management measures, including the administration’s acceptance of speed restrictions for vessels operating in the area, highlighting the potential of collective action to improve conservation outcomes.

RMIA | The Illa de l’Aire Marine Reserve: a treasure worth protecting

The Social and Participatory Governance Proposal was launched in 2023 following concerns raised by changes to the reserve’s boundaries. This prompted Menorca Preservation, together with OBSAM-IME, GOB Menorca and other local environmental organisations, to reflect on whether the substantial environmental and economic benefits associated with this level of protection had been effectively communicated to the wider community.

Illa de l’Aire provides important shelter, resting and feeding grounds for many migratory bird species and is home to more than 600 species of flora and fauna.

Since the Marine Reserve was established in 2019, fish biomass in the area has doubled and abundance has increased significantly, demonstrating the effectiveness of the protection measures implemented.