The Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Interior extended the deadline at the end of July, agreeing to oversee and monitor fishing activities. The accord, first signed in 1997, will stay in force until 2027 after a four-year extension. This marks nearly three decades of collaboration between the MAPA-led department and the Interior ministry, with six million euros allocated annually for the Civil Guard to perform these duties. In reviewing the past year, MAPA resources told Prensa Ibérica and Faro de Vigo that the goal of these actions is to enforce current regulations, safeguard resource sustainability, and spur substantial economic activity. The administration acknowledged the challenge of curbing unregulated fishing, noting a notable rise in violations uncovered by authorities in 2022, up by 23 percent compared with the previous year.
Special records in Galician waters, the Bay of Biscay, the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean rose from about 3,770 to roughly 4,660, with major maritime missions accounting for 1,986 cases in 2022. That figure is more than double the 816 cases recorded in 2021, and it stands 75 to 85 times above the 54 to 68 cases seen in 2020 and 2019. In those earlier years, more than 24 hours at sea were nearly non-existent, a stark contrast to the 134 cases in 2021 and 761 in 2022—six times higher than before.
Over the past four years, the Interior Ministry has renewed its maritime and air assets, including seven high-altitude patrol boats and four Dauphin AS 365 N3 helicopters. In terms of vessels, four new ships built in 2022 and 2023 were funded through Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan resources. The subjects Moon River, Sil River River Guadiato, and the river consent produced by Armon Shipyards at the Burela facility have all been delivered to the Civil Guard for ongoing operations.
Supporting the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Semar (sea), Saer (air) and Seprona (land), the agencies coordinate actions to monitor and enforce compliance with fishing regulations, gear usage, and catches; manage the disposition of undersized species under the law; oversee fish product storage in cold facilities; and verify all elements of the distribution and marketing chain. The stated aim is to ensure adherence to the Common Fisheries Policy in terms of conservation and resource management, with close cooperation between the Civil Guard and fisheries control personnel emphasized by our sources in the ministry. This collaboration underpins concerted efforts to sustain fisheries resources and regulatory compliance across sectors.
From the last four-year period, results were described as very positive by MAPA, though there is a bittersweet note about air-based inspections. The year-to-year comparison shows a drop in 2022, from -278 to 266, yet these two years together account for about 85 percent of the total in the period. The number of inspectors rose from zero in 2019 to 59 in the most recent year, with recorded cases around 2,000 in 2021 and 2022.