To follow
The port of Vigo and its fishing fleet joined a Europe-wide protest this morning against Brussels policies, notably targeting the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius. In the Berbés and Beiramar districts, some purse seiners and trawlers sounded their noon horns, while others did so at sea during the actions. Javier Touza, president of Vigo Shipowners’ Cooperative, ARVI, warned that the industry would either reverse the current trend or perish. He explained that the current measures threaten the viability of their fleets and the communities that depend on them.
A representative from Vigo’s maritime-industrial chain gathered in front of the cooperative’s headquarters, amid the backdrop of sirens and ambient noise from the protest. The scene reflected a shared concern among fishermen, port workers, and related businesses about the direction of EU policy and its impact on livelihoods.
Touza pointed to what he described as radical and fixed environmental priorities that fail to consider the economic realities facing fishing communities. He cited the European Commission’s veto on bottom trawling in marine protected areas, a policy that aims to reserve 30 percent of European waters for protection by 2030. This framework, along with other measures in the current road map, has raised fears among shipowners that valuable fishing grounds are being restricted or removed from productive use. According to Touza, the policy environment has accelerated a generation gap within the industry, as younger workers face shrinking opportunity and older hands contemplate retirement with uncertain futures.
“We are at the border,” Touza said, adding that a Galician Fisheries Council meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. There, the entire maritime-industrial supply chain would discuss and draft road maps for the next steps, aiming to convert the protests into tangible actions that could influence policy discussions at regional and national levels.
To follow
While a large portion of the fleet did not participate in the protest because they were not directly affected, a chorus of whistles could be heard in many ports across the community and echoed in other parts of Spain and Europe. One participant, known as seleiro, joined this symbolic action in solidarity with colleagues affected by the bottom-fishing veto. The director of the Fish Producers Association, which has been among the most vocal opponents of the policy, described the protest as an expression of helplessness, anger, and disagreement with the current fisheries strategy. The association’s leader noted that the measures threaten long-standing livelihoods and the social fabric of coastal communities.
In Vigo’s maritime district, as elsewhere, a concentration of protest symbolism appeared, including black crosses placed at the foot of piers, a method mirrored in German ports in recent weeks. The staging underscored the seriousness with which industry participants view the policy changes and the perceived erosion of social welfare tied to fishing activity.
Employers
The European Bottom Fishing Alliance EBFA issued a formal statement, co-signed with the European Transport Workers’ Federation and supported by Europêche, EAPO and Cogeca. The message conveyed that the crew’s horns and signals were not a celebration but a plea for help, illustrating that the fishing fleet is gradually shrinking and is increasingly at risk. The alliance urged EU policymakers to recognize the human and economic costs of the present direction and to consider policy changes that would stabilize and sustain coastal fisheries rather than hasten their decline.
The statement concluded with a call for action, hoping that European institutions would engage seriously with the concerns raised by fishermen and port communities. It emphasized that the industry seeks not confrontation for its own sake but a productive dialogue that protects livelihoods while balancing conservation goals. This sentiment reflected a broader nationwide and continental anxiety about the future of small to mid-size fishing operations in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape. The organizers stressed that the protest represents warning signals from workers who feel that current trajectories threaten the presence of fishing as a viable economic activity in many coastal regions.