In a conference held in the Spanish Senate, industry delegates have demanded an urgent review of the Western Mediterranean Multiannual Plan (WestMedMAP), warning that current fisheries policy is seriously affecting coastal communities and related activities.
José María Gallart, vice-president of Spanish Confederation of Fisheries CEPESCA stated that the continued reduction in fishing days which has placed the sector ‘on the brink of survival’, has resulted in significant job losses, an exodus from the profession, and serious damage to the economic fabric linked to fishing in numerous Mediterranean coastal communities.
He stated that the Mediterranean trawler fleet has gone from having approximately 230 fishing days per year in 2019 to an average of 130 days in 2026, representing a 44% reduction in fishing effort. This situation has forced many companies to reduce crews and has generated increasing business uncertainty.
CEPESCA has also warned about the unfair competition from third-country fleets operating in the Mediterranean without being subject to the same regulatory requirements as the EU fleet, despite sharing fishing resources and the market, and has been vocal in calling for current European regulation of fisheries management in the Mediterranean to be adjusted. CEPESCA’s demand is for a fisheries policy that reconciles environmental sustainability, socio-economic viability and territorial cohesion.
‘The decisions made in recent years are jeopardizing the continuity of an activity essential for food supply, employment, and the identity of our coastal communities. Europe needs a more balanced fisheries policy, based on sound scientific criteria and adapted to the realities of the Mediterranean,’ said José María Gallart.
Europeche director Daniel Voces argued during the event for a thorough review of the Western Mediterranean Multiannual Plan, considering that its implementation has generated ‘disproportionate decisions’ for a mixed fishery such as those in the Mediterranean.
‘The sector isn’t asking for less sustainability. It’s asking for coherence. After six years of WestMedMAP’s implementation, it’s necessary to correct imbalances and move towards a model that truly integrates the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of Mediterranean fishing,’ Daniel Voces stated.
Among the main modifications proposed by the sector is a review of the concept of the ‘most vulnerable population’ concept currently associated primarily with hake. According to fishing organisations, the current MAP (Management Action Plan) links the allocation of fishing days to the status of a single species, which they consider inadequate for a mixed, multi-species fishery in which vessels catch different species on the same day. This approach has led to ‘disproportionate’ reductions in fishing effort and decisions that are out of touch with the operational realities of the fleet.
The industry also wants a review of the dual regulations applied to red shrimp, which are simultaneously subject to fishing day limitations and catch quotas – a situation they consider unique in Europe. They request the elimination of catch limits in areas where scientific reports confirm that the stock is healthy.
