Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has sought to assure the industry that he will defend quotas to ensure the viability and profitability of the Spanish fleet at next week’s Council of Ministers.
During a meeting of the Advisory Councils on Agricultural Policy and Fisheries Policy for Community Affairs, Luis Planas commented that fishing opportunities for 2025 and 2026 in the Atlantic stands out, pointing out that while this is subject to complex negotiations with Norway and the UK, Spain demands that social and economic impacts be taken into account when establishing TAC and quotas.
Concerning the Mediterranean, the Minister stated that Spain, France and Italy have already signed a joint declaration to move for the Commission to impose a moratorium on fisheries management measures in the Mediterranean for 2015.
He added that this year’s negotiations will be complex, since this year the five-year transitional period of the multiannual plan ends, with a what he called a ‘disappointing proposal’ by the European Commission, which does not take into account the efforts made by the fishing sector.
According to Luis Planas, this proposal is to the detriment of the viability of the trawl fleet, and this is the reason behind the joint declaration on a moratorium on fisheries management measures in the Mediterranean Sea by 2025.
The Minister pointed out that NAFO quotas have already been agreed, with good results for the Spanish fleet, especially the Galician one, which, after 32 years of moratorium, will be able to fish again on the Grand Banks in international waters.
