Before the COVID era, a dynamic couple in Vigo championed FP Hand and stood with the Maritime-Pesqueiro do Atlántico Polytechnic Institute to train students eyeing a life at sea. The focus was on trawlers and longline vessels, targeting the higher cycle of marine mechanics and addressing a demand that had built up for years among shipowners. The profession, especially in ship command, had been facing a lack of generational renewal, and the problem seemed to intensify with each passing year. This issue surfaced clearly at a benchmarking event in Vigo, often regarded as Europe’s fishing capital, where Conxemar participants voiced rising concerns about succession as current leaders approach retirement.
Juan Barreiro, who leads Moradiña, reflects on the growing complexity: “It’s getting more and more complex.” He adds that there is no time to complain because efforts are already underway. The same situation repeats at Freiremar, a shipowner with almost a dozen vessels, where the export manager, Sergio Mosquera, notes that long-tenured staff are waiting for changes to unfold.
Experts in the industry agree that the bottleneck in upcoming years will be severe. Adrián Fernández from Gandón warns that in about five years many captains will be around fifty, signaling a critical generational shift. The perception is that this replacement challenge is hard to solve, even as the sector experiments with dual vocational training in Vigo. Yet the appeal of the sea has not captured the attention of younger generations as much as needed.
Conxemar has lately become a crossroads where young students from the Beiramar-anchored institute meet with industry players like Gandón. The aim is to smooth transitions and bring students closer to practical work in the field, as Fernández explains: the process should be made easier so that young people can see a clear path into the industry.
The Degree
Vigo’s fishing fleets mainly operate in shared waters, but a significant number venture far beyond. The long-haul segment faces the harshest challenges due to lengthy voyages and the need for consistent, harmonized qualifications. Juana Parada of the Longline Organization (Orpagu) notes that in some cases the only viable option is to recruit crews from abroad, but this approach raises another challenge: maintaining uniform qualifications so crew members can join ships smoothly.
Parada’s estimate of managing a fleet of fifty longlines echoes a common sentiment across the industry: a future filled with multiple opportunities, provided the local workforce is kept strong. The preference remains to develop homegrown talent, ensuring crews are trained to the exacting standards required on the water while supporting local maritime communities.