longer.blue

In August, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food cut funding for its network of 12 marine reserves by 40%. The cut echoes changes in the United States, where marine reserves have been opened up to industrial fishing. The cuts mean that Spain’s reserves will face periods with no patrols, leaving them vulnerable to illegal fishing activities. This undermines the nation’s commitment to protect 30% of its land and sea for biodiversity by 2030, and puts at risk decades of public investment in conservation and local fisheries. With marine ecosystems increasingly threatened by overfishing and ocean warming, these reserves are essential to conserving marine ecosystems and supporting local artisanal fisheries. They are also a profitable investment — every euro invested in them produces ten euros in economic output (C. M. Duarte et al. Nature 580, 39–51; 2020). We urge the Spanish government to reverse its decision and strengthen its nearly 40-year legacy of supporting marine conservation. Nature | Vol. 645| 25. September 2025 by: Diego K. Kersting Torre de la Sal Aquaculture Institute, Castellón, Spain. diego.kersting@csic.es Alfonso A. Ramos-Esplá University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain. José Templado National Museum of Natural Science, Madrid, Spain. Enric Sala National Geographic Pristine Seas, Washington DC, USA. https://rdcu.be/eHJtR