MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Transport strikes behind looming fresh fish shortage

Madrid's central market 'Mercamadrid' reported 89 per cent fewer trucks arriving with fresh fish shipments on Tuesday. Usually 90 vehicles enter and supply the market but on Tuesday only 10 entered, market authorities announced.

Practically no fish caught from national waters were received with the small amount that did enter coming from abroad, said the secretary general of the National Association of Fish Wholesalers of Spain (ANMAPE), Manuel Pablos. "The fleet is still voluntarily moored, the guilds have joined the protest, and the trucking strike has made the near future very gloomy indeed," said the official. Shortages will likely be registered on Thursday considering that Madrid is receiving between 50 and 60 tonnes of fresh fish compared to the usual 200 tonnes on a normal day, Pablos said. The shortage particularly concerns fresh fish as frozen fish are easier to store "and the necessary provisions have been taken," Pablos explained. The director of Mercapalma central market, Xavier Martin, confirmed on Tuesday that no fish had been received from the Peninsula that day. As a result, he predicts it will harder to find certain products starting Wednesday. Although frozen fish will be available, Martin admitted that fresh fish shortages will soon become apparent. In the meantime, the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Council of the Xunta of Galicia confirmed that 20 per cent of Galician coastal vessels returned to sea to harvest, and that their corresponding markets will be opened. (FIS)