The percentage of boats anchoring over protected Posidonia oceanica meadows in Ibiza has fallen significantly during 2026, according to the latest results from the Balearic Government's Posidonia Surveillance Service. The proportion dropped from 21.3% in 2025 to 10% this year, marking a substantial improvement in the monitoring results for the island.
The figures were released on 4 November by the Balearic Government's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, following the conclusion of the 2026 surveillance season, which ran from 15 May to 10 October.
Across the Balearic Islands, only 4% of the nearly 138,000 inspected anchorages were found to have an anchor or chain positioned over Posidonia. This is the lowest percentage recorded since the surveillance service began in 2018.
More than 137,000 anchorages inspected across the Balearic Islands
During the 2026 season, the Posidonia Surveillance Service recorded 154,335 actions across Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
These included 137,685 anchoring inspections, direct information provided to 6,213 vessels and technical advice to 4,927 skippers to help them anchor correctly.
In 5,510 inspections, the service detected that an anchor or its chain was positioned over Posidonia oceanica. The vessels concerned were asked to move their anchorage to sandy seabed areas to avoid damaging the protected underwater meadows.
These cases represented 4% of all inspected anchorages. For comparison, the percentage was 17.3% in 2018, the first year of the service, and 6.4% in 2025.
The authorities emphasise that checking the anchor alone is not sufficient. Even when an anchor is correctly positioned on sand, a vessel's chain can extend across a Posidonia meadow and cause damage.
Ibiza cuts incorrect anchoring from 21.3% to 10%
Ibiza recorded 20,264 surveillance actions during the season, including 15,093 inspected anchorages.
The service provided direct information to the skippers of 2,089 vessels and gave anchoring advice to another 1,556.
In 1,526 cases, boats were asked to move because their anchor or chain was positioned over Posidonia. This represented 10% of inspected anchorages, compared with 21.3% in 2025 and 26.4% in 2018.
The Government identified Talamanca, the Bay of Sant Antoni, Cala Bassa, Porroig and Cala Jondal as areas where nautical pressure remains particularly significant.
It also highlighted the limited availability of alternative mooring facilities in some of these locations and pointed to the proposed buoy field in Talamanca as one possible response.
The improvement in Ibiza's figures is notable, although the 10% result remains higher than the Balearic-wide average of 4%.
Formentera records the lowest percentage in the islands
Formentera recorded the lowest percentage of incorrect anchorages across the entire archipelago, with just 1.5% of inspected cases involving an anchor or chain over Posidonia.
The island accounted for 57,822 surveillance actions, the highest total among the four islands. These included 56,407 anchoring inspections, direct information for the skippers of 344 vessels and advice to 204.
In 867 cases, an anchor or chain was found over a Posidonia meadow. The percentage fell from 2.2% in 2025 and 8.8% in 2018.
One particularly relevant finding concerned the role of anchor chains. Of the 867 incorrect anchorages identified in Formentera, 438 involved the chain rather than the position of the anchor itself.
This represents just over half of the cases and reinforces the importance of checking the full length and movement of the chain when anchoring.
Results across Mallorca and Menorca
The other Balearic Islands also recorded improvements.
Mallorca registered 49,157 surveillance actions and 41,378 inspected anchorages. In 2,163 cases, an anchor or chain was found over Posidonia, representing 5.2% of inspections. The equivalent figure in 2018 was 32.2%.
Menorca recorded 27,092 actions, 15% more than the previous season. The service inspected 24,807 anchorages, identifying 954 cases involving Posidonia, equivalent to 3.8%.
This compares with 5.3% in 2025 and 5.4% in 2018.
76 formal reports recorded during enforcement operations
Alongside the preventive work carried out by the Posidonia Surveillance Service, environmental and maritime enforcement bodies drew up 76 formal reports during the 2026 season.
These involved the participation of environmental officers, marine reserve inspectors, the Balearic Government's Coastal Surveillance Service and the Guardia Civil.
The distribution was:
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Mallorca: 52 reports
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Ibiza: 18 reports
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Formentera: 5 reports
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Menorca: 1 report
The Government noted that the total could still increase because additional reports may be received while existing cases remain under administrative processing.
These 76 reports are separate from the 5,510 cases in which boats were asked to relocate their anchorages. The latter figure represents preventive interventions and should not be interpreted as the number of fines or formal penalties.
Posidonia 2030: a new €4.98 million protection project
With the 2026 season completed, the existing contract for the Posidonia Surveillance Service has also come to an end.
To continue and expand the protection work, the Balearic Government has prepared a new initiative called Posidonia 2030, with a budget of €4.98 million financed through the Sustainable Tourism Tax.
The project is planned for an initial two-year period, with the possibility of extending it for a third year.
Rather than focusing exclusively on anchoring surveillance, Posidonia 2030 is intended to bring together several areas of work, including maritime monitoring, scientific research, data management, environmental education and international cooperation.
One of its objectives is to strengthen the existing Balearic Posidonia Monitoring Network, which currently has 46 monitoring stations.
The Government also plans to establish a Posidonia Observatory, bringing together information on meadow conditions, mapping, oceanographic data, anchoring activity and other environmental pressures. The platform is intended to make this information accessible to public authorities, researchers and the wider population.
Another planned change is the transformation of the existing Posidonia telephone service into a central coordination system to improve cooperation between environmental officers, the Guardia Civil, ports and other organisations.
Environmental education is also included, with a programme aimed at schools and the general public. The Government's stated target is to reach 6,000 participants annually, with the Aula de la Mar at sa Petrolera in Palma serving as a reference location.
A separate awareness campaign, Posidonia en el Mar, is also planned for nautical businesses and recreational sea users.
Special surveillance during the August solar eclipse
The 2026 season also included a special surveillance operation during the total solar eclipse on 12 August.
The service increased monitoring in the days before the event and extended its working hours throughout the afternoon, concentrating on areas where higher concentrations of vessels were anticipated.
These included Ciutadella, Andratx, Colònia de Sant Jordi and the eastern coast of Ibiza.
Despite the high number of vessels at sea, the Government reported no serious incidents. Subsequent assessments of the seabed in the areas with the highest concentrations did not identify impacts on Posidonia meadows that could be attributed to the eclipse day.
The operation was coordinated with vessels from marine reserves and protected natural areas, as well as environmental officers. Automatic Identification System (AIS) data were used to monitor vessel concentrations and positions in real time.
Protecting Ibiza and Formentera's underwater forests
Posidonia oceanica is a Mediterranean seagrass species that plays a fundamental role in marine biodiversity, water clarity, carbon storage and the stability of coastal environments.
Its underwater meadows provide habitats for marine life and help protect the seabed and coastline. In Ibiza and Formentera, they are also an important part of the natural heritage recognised through the islands' UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The 2026 surveillance figures indicate a significant reduction in the proportion of inspected anchorages affecting these protected meadows. However, the results also show that pressure remains concentrated in certain areas, particularly around Ibiza's more heavily used bays and coves.
The next phase, Posidonia 2030, is intended to continue this work through a broader combination of surveillance, research, coordination and public awareness.