Photo: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Spanish Fishing Sector Alerts: Brussels' Proposal Threatens Total Paralysis of Mediterranean Trawling Fleet

SPAIN
Thursday, December 04, 2025, 05:50 (GMT + 9)

CEPESCA Urges Spanish Government to Halt the Drastic Reduction in Fishing Days for 2026, Ignoring Scientific Resource Improvement and Socioeconomic Impact

The Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA) has expressed its rejection of the latest proposal by the European Commission regarding the regulation of fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean for 2026. The sector, which conveyed its position to the General Secretariat of Fisheries, hopes that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will secure the necessary support among Member States to block the measure at the next EU Fisheries Council, scheduled to be held on December 11 and 12 in Brussels.

Untenable Figures and Sector Arguments

The Commission's proposal is considered untenable because it would limit activity to an average of 9.6 fishing days per vessel per year, which would mean the total paralysis of the Spanish trawling fleet operating in the Mediterranean.

• Scientific Contradiction: CEPESCA, represented at the meeting by its Vice President for the Mediterranean and Gulf of Cadiz fishing grounds, José María Gallart, and its Secretary General, Javier Garat, stresses that the proposal does not align with the most recent scientific assessments, which do show an improvement in the state of fishery resources.

• The Norway Lobster Argument: The sector questions the Commission's use of the Norway lobster (cigala) situation as the main justification for this extreme reduction. They argue that this species has not been relevant in the current management plan, and its inclusion is disproportionate. For example, Norway lobster represents only 0.4% of catches in the Valencian Community and 2.6% in Catalonia.

• Social and Economic Impact: CEPESCA warns that the approach ignores the social and economic impact on coastal communities in the Spanish Mediterranean and fails to meet the balance objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Precedents and Sustainability Context

In 2025, the Commission had already reduced the fishing effort to 27 days of activity per vessel, a decision that was later modulated with compensatory management measures (such as adjustments to mesh sizes and closures), allowing the annual activity per vessel to be extended to approximately 130 days.

The sector recalls that the upcoming Fisheries Council will be crucial for reconciling biological sustainability with socioeconomic viability.

Regional Context: Sustainable Fishing in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

The Spanish sector's claim contrasts with the recent UN report titled "Estado de la Pesca en el Mediterráneo y el Mar Negro 2025".

• Resource Recovery: The report, compiled by over 700 experts, indicates that overfishing in the region has fallen to its lowest level in a decade. Thanks to regional cooperation and evidence-based management, fishing pressures have been halved over the last ten years, and the biomass of assessed commercial species has increased by 25% between 2013 and 2023.

• Improvement in Overfishing: The percentage of overfished populations has dropped dramatically from 87% a decade ago to the current 52%, although the report notes this level is still too high.

• Aquaculture Boom: Seawater and brackish water aquaculture produces 940,000 tons and already accounts for over 45% of aquatic food production. In total, the fishing and aquaculture value chain generates 2.06 million tons of aquatic food annually, with an economic value of $21.5 billion and supporting 1.17 million jobs. Turkey (400,000 tons), Egypt (147,000 tons), and Greece (139,000 tons) lead aquaculture production.

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