Balearic nautical sector needing support

A sector that generates quality employment

Santiago Mayol, APEAM, and Carmen Planas, CAEB

Santiago Mayol and Carmen Planas. | CAEB

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma10/11/2020 16:30

Carmen Planas, president of the CAEB Confederation of Balearic Business Associations, and Santiago Mayol, president of the APEAM association of maritime businesses, met on Tuesday to discuss their shared concern for the "uncertain future of the Balearic nautical sector".

The APEAM is a member of the CAEB, and Planas said that the employers' association has offered to mediate with various authorities so that incentives and facilities are available to a sector which is "very broad, encompasses multiple activities and needs defending, as it is a pillar of Balearic industry".

Mayol observed that the sector accounts for almost 50% of Balearic industrial GDP. It is suffering because of Covid and requires support. The nautical sector has a "great capacity for generating quality employment, given its high degree of specialisation, and has a positive impact on the economy by contributing to tourism development in the hotel, restaurant, transport and other sectors".

Planas noted that the vast majority of companies in the nautical sector are small to medium-sized enterprises. She called for effective public-private cooperation, as the employment these businesses generate is suffering as a result of the effects of the pandemic.