AENIB, among the founding members of the nautical environmental federation FANMED
The Club Nàutic Cala Gamba has hosted the press conference of the Federation of Nautical Associations and Activities for Environmental Issues (FANMED), formed by ten associations covering the entire spectrum of the nautical sector in the Balearic Islands, among them also AENIB.
The press conference took place prior to the popular presentation organized at the Chamber of Commerce, where representatives of the most significant entities of the Balearic Islands and associations that are part of FANMED gathered to show their support for the creation of this important and necessary new nautical federation. The turnout was in fact so high that the room reserved for the event had to be changed to a bigger one in the last minute.
The vice-president of FANMED, Isabel Teruel, was in charge of opening the event at the Chamber of Commerce, followed by a presentation by the biologist Salud Deudero, who was recently awarded the Premi Ramón Llull 2023. The closing speech of the event was provided by the president of the entity, Gabriel Dols.
Together with AENIB, the federation is made up of associations representing the private clubs and nautical facilities in our community (ACNB, ANADE and Associated Marinas of the Balearic Islands), the most important business associations in the sector (APEAM, AENIB), the large yachts (AEGY), innovation and promotion of nautical tourism (BALEARIC MARINE CLUSTER), representatives of seagoers and sailors (ADN) and recreational fishermen (AMPRR and APIB). In addition, FANMED has five related entities such as the Balearic Sailing Federation, the Balearic Canoeing Federation, the Balearic Federation of Underwater Activities, Alnitak and ANAVRE.
The aim of FANMED is to act as the sole intermediary on behalf of the aforementioned nautical entities towards the administrations on environmental issues. As the president of FANMED, Biel Dols, told Pasión por el Mar, "this federation brings together very disparate associations representing many different points of view, but they all have a common link: they are interested in protecting the sea through legislation based on common sense. It is a meeting point for people who love and care for the sea. All people with blue aspirations should be here”.
As a secondary objective, FANMED will strive to make society aware of all the efforts and actions that the different stakeholders in the nautical sector carry out in favour of the environment. The aim is to reverse the mistaken vision that is often held regarding the role of the nautical sector in the care and protection of the marine environment. "We are all working for the environment", summarised Dols.
The member associations of the new federation share a conviction that "the environmental issue must not be allowed to pass through the political filter. It is a sufficiently important issue to let it grow, trusting the technicians and experts, that is to say, the people who know about the subject, without taking sidesteps and always seeking a balance, since no solution has ever been found in extremes. That´s where the future is", Dols reiterated in his first statements as representative of FANMED.