Spain secures vital trawling measures while EU cuts quotas

On December 11, 2024, in Brussels, Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, announced the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations concerning the fishing quotas released by the European Union for the year 2025. These discussions aimed at addressing the distribution of fishing efforts across the EU's communal waters, particularly in regions including the Atlantic, North Sea, Black Sea, and the Mediterranean. A significant point of contention was the proposed drastic reduction of fishing days for trawlers operating in the Mediterranean, which the European Commission initially suggested reducing to an average of 27 days—a reduction of 79%. The proposal, deeply criticized by the fishing sector, was seen as a 'death sentence' for many trawlers that had already faced a 40% cut in activity over the past five years. The negotiations were described as lengthy and complex, revolving around the Mediterranean fishing industry's capability to sustain itself under the European Commission’s proposed regulations. As discussions progressed, Spain found common ground to include mitigative measures that allowed for some recovery of fishing days conditional on adhering to select environmental practices. In a press conference, the new EU Fisheries Commissioner, Costas Kadis, communicated that the agreed-upon compensatory mechanisms would alleviate the socioeconomic impact of any cuts to trawling activities. Such measures include the conditional ability for fishermen to maintain their fishing days through the implementation of various environmental strategies, like introducing specific gear and temporary closures of certain fishing areas aimed at preserving vulnerable marine species, allocating quotas to important types of fish such as hake juveniles and red shrimp. By applying these selective regulations, Spain managed to counteract the proposed reductions significantly—ensuring that, in effect, the fishing fleet could continue operations in a manner comparable to the previous year. Planas underscored that the Spanish delegation's efforts paid off by neutralizing the extreme reduction that would have led to detrimental consequences for the fishing sector, which is vital for many coastal communities' economic viability. According to him, with the new agreement, the operational days for fishermen would be nearly equivalent to that of 2024 due to the acceptance of these specific protective measures, confirming the commitment to sustainable fishing practices while supporting the livelihoods of those dependent on the industry.