4-Year Extension of State-Canary Islands Agreement on Marine Reserves: What Changes for the Fishing Sector

Key data

The Canary Islands fishing sector operates under the same rules of access to marine reserves at least until 2030. The amendment extending the agreement signed in June 2022 between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food and the competent Canary Islands regional department for fishing extends the shared management model of marine reserves in the Canary Islands for four additional years.

The Resolution of June 5, 2026, from the General Directorate of Sustainable Fishing, formalizes this extension under the eighth clause of the original agreement and the article 48.8 of Law 40/2015 on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector. The amendment is effective as of June 6, 2026, once the original agreement has expired and after its registration in the REOICO.

What does this regulation establish?

The amendment does not create a new agreement: it extends the existing one under the same conditions agreed upon in June 2022. This means that the shared management model between the General State Administration and the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands continues without structural changes.

The key elements that remain are:

• The joint management of marine reserves located in Canary Islands waters, with participation from both the State and the regional administration.
• The regulation of access and activity in these reserves, which directly affects which vessels can fish, in which areas and under what conditions.
• The institutional collaboration framework between the Ministry and the Canary Islands regional department, which has been positively evaluated by both parties after the first four years of implementation.
• The effectiveness of the amendment is conditional on registration in the REOICO, the State Registry of Cooperation Bodies and Instruments.

The legal basis supporting the extension is twofold: the eighth clause of the agreement itself (which already provided for this possibility) and article 48.8 of Law 40/2015, which regulates the conditions under which inter-administrative agreements can be extended.

Economic and operational impact

For the Canary Islands fishing sector, the continuity of the agreement means that access conditions to marine reserves are not liberalized. There are no new restrictions announced, but there is also no opening of additional areas or relaxation of current ones.

From an operational perspective, the concrete effects are:

• Regulatory stability: Canary Islands fishing companies and fishing associations know the regulatory framework at least until 2030, which allows them to plan investments in vessels and equipment with greater certainty.
• Continuity of access restrictions: Marine reserve areas remain prohibited or limited as established in the original agreement. They are neither expanded nor reduced by this amendment.
• Shared administrative management: Authorization and control procedures continue to be channeled through the joint State-Canary Islands model, with no changes in interlocutors or procedures.
• No new direct economic burdens: The amendment does not introduce fees, levies or new economic obligations for fishing operators.

Who does it affect?

• Shipowners and fishing companies with activity in Canary Islands waters that operate in areas near or within marine reserves.
• Fishing associations in the Canary Islands that manage collective access to regulated fishing grounds.
• Artisanal and professional fishing companies with activity licenses in the Canary Islands archipelago.
• Nautical tourism and sport fishing operators whose activity may overlap with marine reserves.
• Canary Islands regional administration (competent regional department for fishing) as co-manager of the agreement.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food through the General Directorate of Sustainable Fishing.

Practical example

A fishing association in Lanzarote that operates in areas bordering a Canary Islands marine reserve will continue to be subject to exactly the same access conditions, catch quotas and fishing gear restrictions that it has been applying since 2022. It does not need to request new authorizations or adapt its activity: the regulatory framework is identical to that of the original agreement.

However, if that fishing association had planned to negotiate expanded access to reserve areas or a modification of fishing conditions, it should know that this process will be handled equally through the shared State-Canary Islands management model, with the same interlocutors and procedures, for at least four more years.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify that your fishing licenses and authorizations remain valid under the extended agreement framework. The extension does not automatically renew individual permits.
2. Review the access conditions to marine reserves in which you operate to confirm that there have been no changes in limits or regulated areas since the original agreement was signed in 2022.
3. Contact the competent Canary Islands regional department for fishing if you have any pending requests for modification of access conditions, to learn about the deadlines and procedures in force under the extended agreement.
4. Plan medium-term investments with the certainty that the regulatory framework remains stable until at least 2030, which reduces uncertainty for fleet or equipment decisions.
5. Monitor the registration in the REOICO to confirm the formal effectiveness of the amendment, as the regulation establishes that the extension is effective once this registration procedure is completed.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: 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-2026-13000