Spain’s fishing industry, represented by the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (Cepesca), has voiced its disappointment at measures announced by the Government in response to the crisis in increased operating costs triggered by the invasion of Ukraine.
Following a meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas, Cepesca described these measures as being very limited and insufficient, and they fail to take into account the complexity of the fleet – highlighting deep divide between regulatory bodies and reality.
Cepesca does not rule out that in some ports the fleet will remains tied up, and wants to make a more in-depth analysis of the situation and collect the opinion of companies with fleets, both inshore and offshore. Once this has been done, the plan is to detail the situation as it is currently being experienced, and an ominous future with little support and European policies.
‘This sector does not need patches, it needs a solid will to tackle the future and that our politicians become aware of their vital role in Europe if we are not going to face a deep-seated crisis, such as the increase in food dependence on third countries,’ said Cepesca secretary general Javier Garat.
‘We are going to go back to fishing, out of responsibility and because we live from it, but there is deep dissatisfaction, and we believe with good reason, so we are going to continue working to vindicate the role we play in the well-being of Europeans and achieve the recognition that must be given to our work.’
Cepesca is convinced that the current energy crisis has highlighted the need for a profound debate, both in Spain and in Europe, on the structure that currently governs the framework of activities for primary production of food.
The opinion is also expressed that there is a need to address ‘once and for all’ a Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) with a vision of the future and that takes into account the threats to fishing activity, such as the green policies of the EU, that the current crisis has thrown into sharp relief.
