Fishermen will not fold their arms against the cuts imposed by the European Union (EU) on fishing days. This is the sector’s determination to increase coverage in the face of new cuts announced for next year, while planning to increase pressure on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which is responsible for processing social benefits. and on the other hand, Immediate payment of outstanding subsidies for 2022. The brothers warn that the situation is already unsustainable and demand better treatment from the relevant administrations.
The EU’s implementation of a strict cutback policy on trawling in the Western Mediterranean since 2020 has left the sector in a very complicated situation. The last of these is the one announced for next year, and if it is not approved in all respects, It predicts a new reduction of 9.5%; In practice, this means reducing the commute time by 15 days. The decision establishes a compensation mechanism to ensure that sniping is less than agreed, which includes, among other things, the use of nets that increase the selectivity of prey or reduce the impact on the seabed.
In any case, the general reality is that the 120 trawlers moored in provincial ports will only be able to go to work for about 150 days in 2024, down from the 240 days they used until four years ago. deprived them of profit margin. Its survival therefore depends on cut-rate aid from the EU, whose Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is responsible for managing it.
Juan Mulet, secretary of the Alicante Provincial Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds, described these benefits as “absolutely necessary for the boats, because Spending so many days without going to work is simply economically unsustainable.».
And the fact is that there is quite widespread dissatisfaction with the way these subsidies are given, Mulet adds: «There are boats that charge less than expectedand the benefit is currently expected to be disbursed for 2022 due to a number of bureaucratic hurdles that make its continuity even more difficult.
Therefore, the industry wants to increase the pressure on the ministry to demand agility in payments and also to extend the aid for next year., taking into account the new segment being prepared. This is a demand of the fishermen of the Valencian Community, shared by fishermen in other affected regions such as Andalusia, Murcia, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia. They all united in the national federation of the industry, which from the beginning will defend their rights by demanding meetings with ministry officials.
AND all this without ignoring other protest measureswaiting for what might happen in the coming weeks. “We will wait for the publication of specific fishing days cuts for next year and from there we will analyze the situation to act accordingly, because the situation is very complex and those affected are in a really difficult situation,” concludes Mulet.
Cofradías and Consell share solution for fleet scrapping
Fishermen’s guilds and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries agree that the optimal solution to the gradual suffering of trawlers may be to allocate funds for the scrapping of part of the fleet. The proposal was personally forwarded to Minister Luis Planas by Minister José Luis Aguirre and will be started selectively for wooden boats due to the lack of caulking for repairs. Juan Mulet, secretary of the Provincial Brotherhood Federation, thinks that the ships remaining this way will be more economically viable.
Source: Informacion
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