HE Council of Fisheries Ministers European Union in which Total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2024 It finished much later than other years. Instead of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on Monday night, as it should have been, or in the early hours of yesterday morning, as has happened many times, Luis Planas, appeared after 11.30 yesterday to announce the results of intense talks. Negotiations for the Valencian player resulted in “very positive” quotas for Spain. Increases in quotas of main species were achievedwith The only negative note for horse mackerel and crayfish in the case of hake in the Gran Sol and the Cantabrian Sea. In total, about 188,000 tonnes of different species will be found in the country next year. Equivalent to approximately 550 million euros in first sale.
Besides the approval of the Gran Sol quotas known last week Agreement signed between the European Union United Kingdom (after negotiation every year Brexit For waters with common species), the Council had to resolve the cut to be applied in the Mediterranean, which complicated the negotiations, multi-annual quotas for some stocks and TACs corresponding to fishing zones VIII, IX and X, affecting mainly Spain. .
“I think the TACs and quotas this year are really very positive for our fishing industry,” Planas said at the press conference he attended together with the European Fisheries Commissioner. Virginijus Sinkevicius of Lithuania.
iberian waters
As scientists suggest and the European Commission recommends, the main TACs affecting Iberian waters have increased. For example, Hake will grow by 9.7% to 17,065 tons by 2023Spain will be able to capture 10,921 of them. As Planas points out, “the most important quota of the century from which the fleets of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country and Andalusia will benefit”.
In the case of The increase in monkfish and rooster was 73% and 11.4%, respectively.. Specifically, Spain will be able to catch 3,715 tonnes of monkfish and 3,210 tonnes of roosterfish between zones IXa (Gulf of Cádiz to Fisterra) and VIIIc (Fisterra to Basque Country).
HE TAC of anchovy from the Bay of Biscay will be 33,000 tonsAccording to Planas, “this is the same amount as we have enjoyed so far”, but There is also an increase of 5.3% in the IXa horse mackerel, which affects the Rías Baixas seine.A total of 166,327 tons remain, of which 43,032 will belong to Spanish ships.
The brothers see the deal as “improvable” and Cepesca considers the deal because of its fishing grounds
Basilio Otero, president of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds (FNCP), described the agreement reached this Tuesday in the European Union (EU) on the 2024 catch in the case of the Cantabrian Sea as “improvable”. “Blow” in the cuts to the Mediterranean fleet. Javier Garat, secretary general of the Cepesca shipowners association, pointed out that his assessment varies depending on the fishing areas, and emphasized that the result in the Gran Sol was positive, while reminding that there was a decrease in whiting quotas for the Cantabrian Sea. and kitty can cause “problems for fleets.” Regarding the Mediterranean, he deplored the new reduction in fishing days and blamed it on Commissioner Sinkevicius: “He wants to destroy the industry.”
Other pelagic reference species are tuna. After learning the outcome of international agreements, Spain will be able to capture 27,832 tonnes, 5.3% less.
referred to crayfishIn the eastern Cantabrian Sea, UF31 (the functional unit into which the fisheries are divided) will catch 12.4 tonnes, representing an increase of 3%. UF25 in the West, TAC will remain zero. Meanwhile, 32 tonnes remain for the Gulf of Cádiz (UF30).
With this, Norwegian lobster from the VIIIabde region in western France, whose TAC decreased by 14.1%Up to 3,977 tonnes, leaving 239 tonnes for Spain.
One of the Council’s biggest innovations this year was the implementation of multi-year TACs covering two or three years, albeit with declines such as 203 tonnes of sole (-17%), 21 tonnes of halibut (-20%). and 70 tonnes of pollock (-53%).
Evaluation
With this result, according to the average prices recorded in the markets of the Galician community in 2022, it seems that the country will have a value of approximately 550 million tons in the first sale.
“I am proud and happy about the agreement reached with the EU on fisheries“, stated Planas, who, in addition to being a minister, served as the representative of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. “It was a complex process, but it gave positive results that valued the fishing activity in terms of food security,” he emphasized.
New interruption to fishing days in the Mediterranean
Regarding the Mediterranean, the European Commission’s initial proposal proposed a 9.5% reduction in fishing effort (days at sea); This meant reaching the 40% reduction set in the community regulation for the Mediterranean, on top of the reductions accumulated in previous years. However, Planas said ministers had finally agreed on a mechanism that would allow the 9.5% reduction proposed by the Commission to be reduced by up to six percentage points, as long as measures that respect the marine ecosystem are implemented. Selectivity of hunting gear. Therefore, if these measures are chosen, the reduction in fishing effort will be 3.5%.
Additionally, the Spanish minister wanted to emphasize that: “Fearless” was discussed To the future decision of the Court of Justice of the EU on the application of TACs higher than “zero” in cases recommended by scientists.
For your part, Virginijus Sinkevicius He wanted to emphasize that “difficult decisions” were made at the meetings, but that they were “vital for the livable future of the sector.” “They reflect the tremendous efforts made by our fishermen in recent years fishing sustainably and offering high-quality seafood,” he insisted.
During, For Consellería do Mar, the result was “disappointing” for Galicia “By not improving the EC’s initial proposal.” They condemned the reduction in new perennial quotas, the restrictions on horse mackerel in VIIIc, or the fact that most of the increases had already been planned.
Not enough for NGOs
NGOs once again pointed out that the cuts were insufficient. Oceana, for example, welcomed the increase in the number of catch limits set in line with scientific recommendations, but noted that 13% (3 of 23) were still “above science.” In summary, “Oceana regrets that ministers have allowed the overfishing of some sensitive and endangered species to continue and emphasizes the need for greater efforts to combat overfishing in the Mediterranean.”