Majorero Mussel Ban Could Be Lifted If Recovery Is Confirmed

Mario Cabrera proposes launching a new study to assess the status of the Majorero mussel

Deputy of the Canarian Nationalist Group (CCa), Mario Cabrera González, addressed the Commission on Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty to stress the need for a fresh study on the condition of the Majorero mussel (Perna perna) in Fuerteventura.

Based on the study’s results, Cabrera suggested evaluating the possibility of opening the ban and allowing the harvest of this mollusk during specific periods of the year, “only if its recovery is confirmed.”

“Although shell‑fishing is a pre‑Hispanic tradition on the island, indiscriminate harvesting has caused a sharp decline in the native mussel population, pushing it toward extinction,” Cabrera warned.

Legal framework

The capture of this species is regulated by Decree 134/1986 of 12 September, which sets the seasonal ban from 1 April to 30 June. In Fuerteventura, extraction has been prohibited year‑round since the order of 16 July 2004. The measure was introduced to curb poaching that almost drove the species to disappearance; today, only a few individuals remain on Fuerteventura’s coast and on some cliffs of Lanzarote.

Signs of improvement

After two decades of a permanent ban, Cabrera noted “a certain improvement in the recovery of this mollusk,” thanks to the conservation measures applied. Consequently, the Canarian Nationalist Group believes “it is time to conduct a new study that provides up‑to‑date data to determine whether the ban has been effective.”

He called for investigations that would:

• Determine the sustainable feasibility of lifting the ban in selected zones.
• Establish parameters that continue to support the natural recovery of the species.

Combating poaching

Cabrera emphasized the need to intensify coastal surveillance to counter poaching. He highlighted the island’s extensive coastline, limited monitoring, and low public awareness as factors that allow illegal harvesting to persist, leading to large‑scale, unregulated sales of the product.

To improve control, he proposed the use of new technology for shoreline monitoring, pointing to the Fuerteventura Technology Park (PTF) and its unmanned aerial platform project, which can oversee the island’s 340 km of coast “directly from the park’s facilities.” He also stressed the importance of launching awareness campaigns against poaching.

Official response

Narvay Quintero, head of the relevant department, expressed willingness to undertake a new study on the real situation of the Majorero mussel in 2026. He highlighted the need to evaluate the resource after twenty‑one years of a ban that has been renewed biennially since 2004.

According to Quintero, the study should address:

• Distribution and density of mussel populations.
• Size classes and the impact of poaching.
• Environmental and ecological conditions of their habitats.
• Reproductive status.

“The study will determine whether the ban can be lifted and how to do it,” he concluded.

Fuerteventura: an ideal setting for mussel recovery

Since the 2004 prohibition, a series of projects have been launched to aid recovery. Coordinated by the Aquaculture Research Group of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and the Canary Institute of Marine Sciences (ICCM), these initiatives have examined the mussel’s reproductive cycle, survival in longline cultivation systems, and seed/larvae collection using the smartline method, involving local fishing guilds and Canary institutions.

Cabrera highlighted a study initiated by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura in 2008 that introduced a technique commonly used in Norway for mussel farming, known as the smartline method. This project “opened a new possibility both for the species’ recovery and for its potential cultivation to promote commercialisation.”

He concluded by stressing that “supporting and restoring initiatives of this type is essential to foster the re‑introduction of Perna perna along our coasts.”