Government wanting protection for sea around the Balearics

Following Monday's cabinet meeting, the environment minister, Miquel Mir, explained that this would be a request sent to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN agency which promotes safe, ecologically sound, efficient and sustainable maritime transport.

The specific request is for an IMO 'Particularly Sensitive Sea Area', which has applied to the Canary Islands since 2004 and also applies to the Galapagos Islands and the Baltic Sea.

The Balearic government argues that the sea around the Balearics is subject to international maritime transport that can have "unfavourable impacts" on the marine and coastal environment as well as on human health.