European Union (EU) Fisheries Ministers have approved Total Allowable Catch (TAC) levels and 2023 quotas that double Spain’s southern hake allotment. The adjustment, announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, was described as historic, marking a watershed moment for Spain’s fishing fleet.
The ministers reached a hard-won agreement on Tuesday after a lengthy and demanding negotiation. The deal, featuring a historic surge in southern hake quotas, doubled Spain’s 2022 allocation to 9,953 tonnes for 2023. Madrid hailed the outcome as the best figure in eight years and the second-best of the century. The increase exceeds the European Commission’s initial 10% proposal and directly benefits about 1,200 vessels across the autonomous communities of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country.
The outcome arrived after a marathon of talks spanning nearly 22 hours, coming late on the second day of deliberations just before a scheduled Sunday session. Planas had already envisioned this as a “fishing marathon,” a testament to the intensity of the negotiations.
In addition, the mackerel quota rose by 20%, delivering Spain a total of 29,439 tonnes of this species caught by roughly 900 boats in the Cantabrian Sea. This represented a substantial improvement compared with last year, when 5,500 tonnes were reduced. Meanwhile, the bycatch quota for horse mackerel under the Brussels-recommended TAC moved from zero to 3,271 tonnes, amounting to 4% of the 70,000 tonnes recorded in 2022. Planas noted that the stock was in poor condition but that the agreement still represented progress within the broader sustainability framework. He cautioned that further work remained, yet he viewed the result positively in this context.
On haddock, sole, and the functional units of Norwegian lobster, Planas highlighted that Spain met its objectives by maintaining the established fishing quotas, even in the face of proposed reductions of 11% by the Commission—specifically a 10% cut for haddock and a 36% cut for Norwegian lobster.
Another element deemed complex due to multiple Member States involved is the eel fishery, where a six-month ban was agreed in two consecutive 3-month periods as requested by Spain, aiming to curb overfishing and protect juvenile stocks.
Planas emphasized that the collective interests of Member States and the fishing sector were crucial. The discussions included proposals from Spain, France, and Portugal to set multi-year quotas, with the aim of ending prolonged, late-night negotiations and improving the structure and predictability of Fisheries Minister meetings and Council work.
effort reduction
One notable priority for Spain was reducing effort days in the Mediterranean. Planas celebrated a reduction from 7.5% of the initial bid to 7%, with compensation increasing from 3% to 3.5%, translating to a net gain of 9 to 10 fishing days per vessel. The government has stressed that intensity of fishing days must align with sustainability goals while sustaining the livelihood of coastal communities.
However, Planas cautioned that hunting days alone are not a sufficient sustainability tool. He noted a fundamental disagreement with the Commission over implementation and interpretation of Western Mediterranean regulations. Spain argues that true sustainability in 2025 will come from selective fishing practices rather than simply shortening the number of fishing days, advocating for measures that preserve stock health without crippling industry capacity.
The Commission’s proposals also affected two measures that Spain challenged before the EU High Court of Justice: the maximum catch limit for red shrimp, which moved from 7% to 5%, and the longline fishing regime for hailfish, where the ban was lifted. These elements remain sensitive in the broader conversation about environmental safeguards and industry viability.
England and Norway
Regarding negotiations with the United Kingdom on tuna access, Planas confirmed that Spain was granted entry to British waters for the first time, though a full deal had not yet been concluded. The agreement did include a 5% quota increase for northern hake, and modest gains for regional monkfish and roosters, while other stocks in the area also saw incremental improvements through the year.
No agreement was reached with Norway. Negotiations were blocked, echoing the previous year’s stalemate, which led to a system of quarterly quotas designed to prevent fleets from being forced to halt operations during lengthy talks.