The Palma International Boat Show recognises the Marilles Foundation’s work to conserve the sea with the Marcial Sánchez-Barcáiztegui Award

Vice-president Yllanes presented the award to the association’s representatives at the Palma International Boat Show

 

The Marilles Foundation has been awarded the Marcial Sánchez-Barcáiztegui prize, which is presented each year at the Palma International Boat Show. The vice-president and councillor for Energy Transition, Productive Sectors and Democratic Memory, Juan Pedro Yllanes, presented the award to Sandra Espeja, on behalf of Marilles, this morning at the Moll Vell exhibition centre. The managing director of the Institute for Business Innovation of the Balearic Islands (IDI), Mariona Luis, and other representatives of Marilles also attended the ceremony.

 

The organisation wished to recognise Marilles’ conservation and awareness-raising work to preserve the sea, especially its efforts to minimise the environmental impact of human activity in the sea, highlighting the value of artisanal fishing as the fishing subsector that generates the most jobs and is the most environmentally friendly. The work of Marilles in the creation and maintenance of marine protected areas, as well as the promotion of protection against marine pollution, was also valued.

 

The vice-president and councillor for Energy Transition, Productive Sectors and Democratic Memory, Juan Pedro Yllanes, highlighted “the great work you carry out in raising awareness of marine science, respect, training and dissemination in Balearic society”.

 

For her part, Sandra Espeja stressed that “the sea provides us with many benefits, but we invest little in its conservation. We believe that it is possible to reconcile economic prosperity with marine and coastal ecosystems in an excellent state of conservation. If we take it seriously and apply courageous measures, the Balearic Islands can be a world reference in marine conservation.

 

Marilles is a non-profit foundation that works to turn the Balearic Islands into a world example of marine conservation. They fund projects that improve the conservation of the Balearic Sea and its coasts, collaborating with other foundations and private donors. Marilles’ priorities are to improve marine protected areas, ensure sustainable fishing and promote marine education. They also support projects that reduce the impact of shipping, tourism, plastic and pollution of the Balearic Sea, as well as coordinating local efforts and funding the most effective marine conservation measures. To this end, they encourage dialogue between experts and organisations to address the challenges facing the marine environment, and forge connections between those who are best placed to carry out projects with which to fund them.

 

Previous winners of the Marcial Sánchez-Barcáiztegui Award have been the Balearic Islands Naval Regatta Commission (2013); the SAR Princesa Sofía Trophy (2014); the Consell de Mallorca School of Mestres d’Aixa (2015); Margarita Dahlberg (2016); Diego Colón de Carvajal (2017); Miguel Suñer (2018); Isabel Subirats (2019); the Red Cross of the Sea (2021), and the Sant Pere Fishermen’s Guild (2022).

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