The Balearic fishing trade has said its outright rejection of the proposal from the European Fee for a 15% discount in trawler fishing effort (mainly, the variety of fishing days). The proposal has been condemned as being completely unviable.
Issues in regards to the proposal have been made clear to the nationwide minister for agriculture, fisheries and meals, Luis Planas. Within the Balearics, these have come from the regional ministry and the fishermen’s federation. Different areas have additionally expressed their considerations.
Antoni Garau, president of the federation within the Balearics, says that the trouble has been reduce this yr by ten per cent. An additional 15% could be “inconceivable to just accept”. Fishermen are properly conscious of the necessity to keep fish shares within the Mediterranean, he stresses, however this “can’t imply a 25% discount in two years“. “This isn’t a viable resolution for the fishing trade.”
Nonetheless, reform of the Widespread Fisheries Coverage in 2013 established that with a purpose to maximise sustainable catches of fish within the western Mediterranean there would must be a 40% discount in trawler fishing between 2020 and 2025.
The ten per cent discount for this yr was based mostly on the variety of fishing days between 2017 and 2019. Garau maintains that with a purpose to arrive at a brand new discount for 2021 there would first should be a scientific analysis of the outcomes of the primary discount. He additionally insists that the European Fee shouldn’t be taking into consideration the socioeconomic affect within the Balearics.
The regional fisheries directorate has despatched a letter to the nationwide ministry wherein it asks that maritime zones within the Balearics the place trawler fishing is banned are given consideration. These have implications for, amongst others, salmon, hake, lobster and prawns.
A nationwide protest that had been deliberate for Tuesday and Wednesday this week has been postponed. Fishermen within the Balearics and the remainder of Spain are ready to seek out out what the European Fee’s closing resolution is.
