MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Montevideo port intent in attracting Spanish fishing fleet

Montevideo port

Uruguay has plans to improve Montevideo port facilities with the purpose of attracting the Spanish fishing fleet operating in the South Atlantic.

Montevideo could also service Spanish freezers that may have to leave the fishing grounds of the Falkland Islands if Argentina approves a law which targets eliminating the so-called double permits, in other words, companies will have to opt between licences granted either by Argentina or the Islands, contrary to what happens now. Uruguayan authorities believe the Spanish fleet is not taking full advantage of its potential regarding number of vessels and logistics support for landings and transfer of catches in the high seas, reports Visión Marítimas. Within this context, a Spanish delegation from the Cluster of Fishing Enterprises in Third Countries, CEPPT, visited Uruguay last month to assess investment possibilities in the fishing industry. One of the options considered with Montevideo port officials was the extension of a thousand meters long jetty, to improve landings capacity and vessel servicing activities for the estimated one hundred Spanish and other flagged fishing vessels operating in the South Atlantic. Spanish sources highlight that Uruguay is already the second most important country in Latin America for Spain's freezer vessels and long distance longliners. "Montevideo is a strategic point for the Spanish fisheries sector in the South Atlantic, where 90 vessels operate 50% of them in joint ventures pertaining to the CEPPT", said the cluster's president Marcial Varela and General Director José Parajuá. During a recent visit to Madrid, Uruguay's Minister of Transportation and Public Works, Víctor Rossi, said Montevideo was interested in attracting joint ventures for the construction of private docks at the new fisheries terminal. (FIS/MP).-