When rural communities face hardship, fishing often follows close behind, so it was only a matter of time before this sector joined farmer-led demonstrations. This occurred on Friday as the Castellón fraternities organized a strike. About a quarter of the trawlers docking in Alicante province were operating independently in support. On a day when agricultural protests had cooled somewhat, attention centered on the La Granadina industrial zone in San Isidro, where the Civil Guard prevented disruptions that could obstruct truck traffic.
That week also brought the revelation that the European Union will extend its planned fishing-day reductions to 45 days this year, up from an initial estimate of 15 days. The ruling is a tough blow for the sector, which previously could fish for up to 240 days but may now be limited to about 125 days, squeezing profit margins at a time of rising costs.
The news hit like a bucket of cold water. The Castellón brotherhood quickly called for a strike this Friday, a move supported by around 55 vessels engaged in this type of trawling within the region. Although the appeal wasn’t initially aimed at Alicante, roughly 25% of the 125 trawlers dedicated to this fishery remained anchored in the port as a show of solidarity with Castellón fishermen and to highlight the sector’s precarious situation.
The decision to back the strike was made at an individual level, but it may become official in the days ahead. Juan Mulet, who oversees the Fishermen’s Guilds in Alicante, underscored the uncertainty: “We do not agree with the Castellón call because first we need to know how much compensation support we will receive and what will happen to those who still owe us money. Based on all of this, we will decide.”
Agricultural protests reach Crevillent and Elche
Farmers continued their mobilization on Friday, though with less intensity than in previous days. The demonstrations were largely confined to the La Granadina industrial zone in San Isidro, where the Civil Guard prevented exits from the building to avoid the disruptions seen earlier that affected transport trucks and delayed goods deliveries.
As Miguel Poveda, spokesman for the leading farmer groups, explained, mobilizations are likely to continue on a near-daily basis with tractor parades outside major professional bodies. In their own words, they chose to act independently because they feel inadequately represented by those organizations, arguing they wasted time mobilizing and did not respond forcefully enough when action finally began.