CEPESCA strongly conveys its position to Isabel Artime

Spanish Fishing Sector Demands 'Realistic' Measures from Government Over New EU Control Regulations

SPAIN
Thursday, January 08, 2026, 05:00 (GMT + 9)

Cepesca warns that new obligations, effective January 10, 2026, are "impossible to fulfill" for the Spanish fleet.

Madrid – The Spanish fishing sector, represented by the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), has voiced its "deep concern" to the General Secretary of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), Isabel Artime. The industry is pushing back against specific obligations within the new European Fisheries Control Regulation, which is set to enter into force on January 10, 2026.

The sector claims that, in its current form, the regulation is nearly impossible to comply with for a significant portion of the fleet operating in national, European, and international fishing grounds.

The 50 Kg Threshold: A Technical Impossibility

One of the primary demands submitted to MAPA is the preservation of the 50 kg minimum threshold for declaring catches in the Electronic Fishing Logbook (EFL). The sector argues that eliminating this margin is technically unfeasible because:

• Lack of Equipment: Vessels do not possess onboard weighing systems or means to precisely identify and quantify small-volume catches by species while at sea.

• Approximation vs. Precision: Currently, these amounts are only accurately determined during the official weighing at port. Forcing declarations from the first kilogram turns the EFL into an exercise in guesswork, contradicting the regulation's own logic regarding "margins of tolerance."

• Sanction Risk: CEPESCA warns that this will exponentially increase the number of mandatory records per trip and the risk of discrepancies, leading to disproportionate fines for bycatch species with little commercial value or relevance to stock management

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Operational Reality and Maritime Safety

In a second letter sent to Isabel Artime, CEPESCA expressed its rejection of a fixed hourly limit for the prior notification of arrival at port. While the European Regulation generally sets a minimum of 4 hours notice, the industry points out that the rule allows Member States to adapt this to specific fleets.

For the Spanish coastal fleet, which often operates very close to port with short trips, a rigid time limit is "materially impossible" to meet. Furthermore, the sector alerts that:

• Safety Hazards: Requiring skippers to complete electronic paperwork during final navigation maneuvers increases maritime safety risks, particularly in congested ports or adverse weather.

• Administrative Burden: "Practical experience shows this has already caused dangerous situations by forcing the skipper to neglect essential steering and watchkeeping duties to fulfill a bureaucratic requirement," the fishermen stated.

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Proposed Solutions

The fishing sector is calling on MAPA to implement a proportionate approach that includes:

1. Maintaining a minimum operational threshold for declarations, at least for specific fleets or bycatch.

2. Establishing a simplified regime for low-volume catches.

3. Allowing notification prior to arrival rather than a fixed hourly limit, in alignment with Article 17.1 bis of the Control Regulation.

Finally, CEPESCA reiterated its willingness to collaborate technically with the Administration, even offering on-board visits so officials can witness the real-world operation of fishing vessels firsthand.

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