Photo: CEPESCA

The Spanish fishing sector unevenly welcomes the result of the TAC and quota negotiations for 2024

The agreement cushions, with conditions, the reduction in fishing days in the Mediterranean and consolidates the increases in hake, rooster and monkfish in the National Fishing Ground

• The reduction in fishing days in the Mediterranean could be limited to 3.5%, compared to the 9.5% proposed by Brussels, by applying a compensation mechanism
• In the Gulf of Cádiz, the quota for Norway lobster has been maintained, which, added to the increase in hake, rooster, monkfish and southern horse mackerel, is positive for the fleet.
• In the Northwest Cantabrian Sea there are concerns about quota reductions for pollock, whiting, sole and plaice, which will harm some fleets
• The Gran Sol fleet, satisfied with the agreement negotiated between the EU and the United Kingdom

The Spanish fishing sector, represented by the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), has unevenly welcomed the agreement reached yesterday in Brussels, which determines the fishing days in the Mediterranean for 2024, as well as the quotas assigned to each Member State in the Atlantic and the North Sea by next year, and also by 2025 in the case of some species.

In the Mediterranean, whose negotiation has been the most complex, Cepesca highlights the establishment of a compensation mechanism, with 12 possible conditions, in order to ensure that the reduction in fishing days is less than the agreed 9.5%. Among the conditions is improving the selectivity of the trawl gear with square meshes in the 45 mm codends so that they allow the capture of juvenile hake to be reduced by 25%; or 50 mm to reduce the capture of small red shrimp by 25%; or the use of separating grids; or the temporary closure of fishing areas that allows the reduction of 25% of juveniles of all demersal species or 20% of reproducers; o prohibit trawling at depths greater than 800 m; or the use of flying nets that reduce the impact on the seabed, etc.

The fishing days compensation mechanism would mitigate the 9.5% reduction in fishing days in the Mediterranean agreed by the Council on a proposal from the European Commission, in such a way that, if one of the aforementioned conditions were met , the owner of the vessel in question would receive compensation of 4.5% of the fishing days; If two of the conditions were met, the compensation would be 5% and if three conditions were met, it would be 6%, thus allowing the reduction of fishing days to be limited from 9.5% to 3.5%. “This reduction in fishing days, although no one likes it, is much lower than the 9.5% proposed by the EC,” says Javier Garat, general secretary of Cepesca. “We have asked the minister to be flexible when applying the criteria and compensation mechanism in the Mediterranean fleet, that we sit down soon to see it and that we all make the greatest possible effort so that the impact on our fleet is also the same. as little as possible,” adds Garat.

For its part, the Mediterranean red shrimp quota has been reduced by 5% when the proposal was 9%.

Following this analysis, Cepesca values the 9.7% increase in southern hake catches for Spain, up to almost 11,000 tons, and the agreed increase for our country in the national fishing ground of rooster quotas (11.4%) or monkfish (7.3%) where, in addition, a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 33,000 tons is maintained for anchovy from the Bay of Biscay. For Cepesca, the increase in quotas for these species is a confirmation of the good state of the “Iberian” stocks. However, in the Northwest Cantabrian Sea there is concern about the decrease in quotas for species such as haddock (-53%), whiting (-40.8%), sole (-17% - 34% depending on the species) and plaice (-20%), which can put several fleets in the area in trouble.

As for the Gulf of Cádiz, it has been really important for Cepesca to ensure that the Norway lobster quota has been maintained, which, added to the increase in the species indicated above (hake, roosterfish and monkfish), in addition to the southern horse mackerel (5.3 %), is positive for the fleet in the area.

On the other hand, it is worth remembering the decision on Gran Sol quotas after the agreement reached between the EU and the United Kingdom, which, in general, satisfy the Spanish fleet. “There has been an increase for important species such as rooster (3.03%) and monkfish (5.34%), and an acceptable decrease of 12.38% in the TAC for northern hake,” explains Javier Garat.

Finally, Cepesca thanks Minister Planas and his team for the work carried out in the marathon Council of Fisheries Ministers to try to achieve the best result for the Spanish fishing sector, seeking a balance between the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable management of populations fish and food security; and regrets the lack of flexibility shown by Commissioner Sinkevicius, especially in everything related to the Mediterranean.

On the other hand, the cod fleet appreciates the defense of historical rights carried out in its Svalbard quotas and supports the line adopted to achieve a desired agreement with Norway without compromising what historically belongs to Spain.

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• Fiskeriforening | New fisheries agreement: Healthy fish stocks mean higher fishing quotas

• Tripartite agreement on North Sea herring

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