MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Galicia, a partner in most of the world's major fisheries

”Trawler can catch 80 tons in 15, so we need to regulate the size and maturity of species? said Paz-Andrade

Spain is short of fisheries but has huge investments in other fisheries world over, Falklands/Malvinas, Chile, New Zealand, Africa, and does most of the fish processing and trading, according to Alfonso Paz-Andrade Rodríguez president of World Fishing Exhibition.

"Since fishing can only be done in waters belonging to others and Galicia has lost dimension because of lack of fisheries, even not having great companies we have huge investments in other countries such as Falklands/Malvinas, Chile New Zealand or companies working from South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola", underlined the Galician expert in a press interview with the Vigo media. Although these companies are local, "a majority of the social capital belongs to Galician companies and it's most important that decision making and trading takes place in Galicia, and remains so". Alfonso Paz-Andrade said long distance fishing is no longer done from Galicia and makes more sense to do it from the same country-owners of the fisheries. "The fleet lands catches at the country of origin and then in containers ships them mostly to Galician ports where they are processed and traded to international markets". The fishing industry is still a major component of Galicia's GDP admitted the expert who praised Galician entrepreneurs and companies for having adapted to the new rules. Further on Alfonso Paz-Andrade said he was optimistic about the fishing industry which is going through a crucial moment, "which means it has a future and a more encouraging future than ten years ago". And this is because a decade ago what he described as "eco-terrorism" was rampant with environmental groups committing excesses and questioning the whole industry. But that is over now, "the world needs food, sea proteins, healthy food which means emerging countries and even rich countries which fed on hamburgers and fried chicken have gone to fish". Paz-Andrade revealed that currently Japan and the United States have become the world's main consumers of fish and sea food. But he also admitted that conservation is essential for a renewable resource such as fisheries since many excesses have been committed together with an impressive advance in fishing techniques and technology. "In the early seventies a trawler that managed a catch of 8 tons in ten hours was a big party; nowadays there are vessels that can catch 80 tons in 15 minutes, so we need to regulate the timing, size and maturity of species". Paz-Andrade said fisheries as a renewable resource must be respected "we can't fish more than the bio-mass and this needs of a world understanding between all those people responsible for the industry world wide". As to fishing costs the Galician expert admits it has become a great challenge because 40% or in some cases even more, fuel is the main item, which in three years has ballooned 150% and this will demand readapting to the new conditions with a more efficient, conservation minded fleet.