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Spanish fishing fleet. (Photo: MARM)
Spanish fleet maintains TACs in NAFO area
(SPAIN, 9/27/2016)
The latest annual meeting of the Organization of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (NAFO) ended in good results for the fishing fleet of Spain on confirming that fish stocks continue their recovery path.
At the meeting, held last week in the Cuban town of Varadero, the total allowable catches (TACs) of some of the most important species for the Spanish fleet were reviewed, thanks to the good results of the scientific assessments, they have been stable, reported the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Thus, both the redfish in Division 3 and the stingray in the 3LNO divisions have manteined their TACs (of 20,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes, respectively), allowing the Spanish fleet to continue with the same catch level.
As for the Greenland halibut, after intense discussions it was agreed not to continue in 2017 the capture control rule and maintain the same TAC for next year, which the Spanish Government considers a satisfactory result for the national fleet.
In addition, it was agreed that for this species there would be a schedule of meetings with the aim of setting a new evaluation and a new management strategy, with its corresponding use control rule so that it can replace the current rule before the next annual meeting. This proposal will mean higher stability guarantee for the Spanish fleet in this fishery, once the new measures take effect.
All the other stocks such as cod, keep the quotas that have already been determined at the meeting in 2015.
On the other hand, the commitment to conduct a review of the benchmarks for cod in Division 3M is maintained, which will also set a management strategy and a control catch rule although the priority for the NAFO Scientific Committee for the next intersessional period will be the halibut.
Besides, the Ministry stresses the adoption within this regional fisheries organization (RFO) of FAO recommendations with regard to harbour responsibility and control. This means offering a major boost to FAO Control Measures program in Port, which will mean a significant improvement in the fight against illegal fishing.
Finally, the RFO agreed to extend the closure areas for the protection of sea pens, one of the vulnerable ecosystems in the NAFO Regulatory Area, with a new closed area that does not affect the fishing activity of the Spanish fleet . Thus, NAFO contracting parties once again demonstrate their commitment to the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems.
Furthermore, for the first time, NAFO has agreed on the extension of the European standard of attached fins to the shark catch in the Regulatory Area, which represents a further step in the implementation of this measure to other international fleets. In this way, the Spanish fleet will operate in the future with equal conditions compared to other fleets in terms of the requirement to land sharks with their attached fins.
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