Spain has come out of the Agrifish negotiations with better quotas than had been expected for key species, including hake and western horse mackerel.
The Spanish fleet has access to an addition 41,000 tonnes of fish for 2017, valued at €44 million, according to a statement by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Isabel García Tejerina, with many of the conclusions reached at the last minute during this year’s negotiations, reports EfeAgro.
The Spanish fleet’s northern hake quota is up by 10% to 33,781 tonnes, while proposed cuts in southern hake were softened from a proposed 36% reduction to 1.4%, resulting in a 6731 tonne TAC. The proposed 45% cut in western horse mackerel in VIIIC became a 23% reduction to a 11,890 tonne TAC.
The Spanish Gulf of Cadiz anchovy quota has been set at 5900 tonnes, pending a review later in the year and Cantabrian anchovy quotas remain at their previous level.
The northern monkfish quota remains unchanged, which is seen as a positive result considering the proposed drastic cuts. Bay of Biscay pollock and whiting quotas remain unchanged, instead of proposed cuts of up to 20%.
