Spain celebrates as 'excellent' the latest EC fisheries TACs and quotas awarded

Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 06:23 UTC

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Minister Arias Cañete underlined the “grand bargain achieved by Spain” with significant increases in fishing quotas in almost all resources of interest

The head of the Ministry of Food and Environment (Magrama), Miguel Arias Cañete, highlighted the ”excellent results achieved by Spain in negotiating total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2014.”

The Fisheries Ministers of the European Union (EU) achieved after two days of negotiations, an agreement on the allocation of fishing quotas for the EU fleet over the next year.

The minister stressed the “grand bargain that Spain has made” for significant increases in fishing quotas achieved in almost all resources of interest for its fishermen, compared to those achieved in 2013.

Some of the species for which quotas have been increased are: Hake: 49%; Mackerel: 28%; Blue whiting: 71%; Megrim from national fishing grounds: 86% and Gran Sol and Bay of Biscay anglerfish: 15%.

In connection with the new quota for hake, Arias Cañete stressed that Spain has achieved a “historic increase”. This increment in the waters of Gran Sol and Bay of Biscay will mean 7,500 more tons than last year and 22 million Euros more.

Meanwhile, the quota for the southern Cantabrian Sea and Bay of Biscay hake stock was raised by 15%, that is to say, 1,350 more tons than in 2012.

Regarding mackerel, the minister said that Spain managed to increase its quota by 28%, to 29,019 tons, 6,300 more tons than last year. However, he pointed out that this quota is provisional, as it will be increased in 2014, when the agreement with Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands is closed.

On the other hand, Arias Cañete described as “spectacular” the increase of chances to fish for blue whiting. The EU ministers decided to increase the Spanish share to 71%, which now stands at 40,000 tons, 16,500 more tons than in 2013.

This quota is provisional and may increase in 2014, depending on the closing of the negotiations with Norway.

Regarding the Gran Sol and Bay of Biscay anglerfish, a rise of 15 per cent was achieved “despite the fact that the Commission intended to maintain the 2013’s quota for Spain.”

Meanwhile, the quota of megrim from the national fishing grounds rose 86%, or 963 tons, representing a total of 2,084 tons.

The quota of anglerfish from the national fishing grounds increased by 6%, i.e., 128 tons, placing the quota for the Spanish fleet at 2,191 tons.

On the other hand, Spain maintained the same rates as in 2013 for Cantabrian pollack and Gran Sol and Bay of Biscay anglerfish, like that of anchovy from the Bay of Cadiz.

Meanwhile, although the Commission proposed a 40% reduction in the horse mackerel from the Cantabrian Sea, the minister stressed that the decrement obtained was only 26%.

For IX Area mackerel (low estuaries and Gulf of Cadiz), the quota was increased by 17%, which means more than 1,300 tons in 2013 and a final quota of 9,055 tons for Spain.

Arias Cañete also mentioned that the quota of Norwegian lobster in the VII Area was down 9%, even though the Commission proposed a reduction of 24%.

In the Porcupine Bank, where the Spanish fleet works, Norwegian lobster quota rose 3%, to 557 tons, and in the Bay of Biscay, Spain finally managed to keep the 2013’s quota of 234 tons.

The fisheries sector, through the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), expressed its satisfaction with the result obtained in the Council of Fisheries Ministers.

For Cepesca secretary general, Javier Garat, “the increase obtained in the quotas of species of special relevance to the Spanish fleet is the result of the effort and sacrifice performed by the fleet in recent years and the comprehensive management policy and control applied in Spain.” (FIS)

Categories: Economy, Fisheries, International.

Tags: European Comission, European Fisheries Ministers, fishing quotas, Miguel Arias Cañete, Spain, Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), TAC.

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darragh
The EC must be mad.

If you want to see the effect that Spanish 'vacuum cleaners' have had on the fishing industry come to the west of Ireland.

When I was a kid you could literally pick up mackerel on the beach - now after 15 years of Spanish mackerel fishing if you catch a mackerel its a topic of conversation in the pub.

A couple of years ago a Spanish trawler was intercepted in Irish waters with 200 tons of illegally caught herring (i.e. over its quota) the trawler was escorted into Dingle harbour by an FP patrol boat and it promptly dumped all 200 tons in the harbour, this was in the middle of the tourist season and the place stank for days. When prosecuted the trawler captain stated that he was obliged under EC law to 'return' any fish caught over his quota to the sea and that nobody said he couldn't dump them in the harbour - he was acquitted.

The raping of the sea around Irish coasts by Spanish boats is so blatant that a Spanish trawler repair company has set up business here.

It's not as if the Spanish boats give any work locally - they come into harbour and unload their catches straight onto refrigerated Spanish trucks which then get the ferry to France from Cork. They used to through the UK but the Brits put a stop to it under hygiene laws.

Another Spanish trawler was arrested under slavery laws as its North African crew deserted the boat when it came into Dingle harbour as they hadn't been paid for six months. Once again the Captain was acquitted because the crew were said to have 'mutinied' instead of taking their grievance to a court.

Touched a nerve - you bet they have!!!
Aug 13th, 2014 - 11:08 am 0
Conqueror
@1. Yeah, but you have no say. You're an EU puppet. Have a referendum and the EU doesn't like the result? Have another one. The UK fights on. We have lots of money. You don't. And we'll probably be seceding sometime in the next few years. You have nothing with which to frighten the spanish or the EU. You're not really a lot better, if at all, than eastern Europe. An impoverished country dependent on handouts. Ever tried getting some pride by standing up for yourselves? What are you best known for? Sending your “travellers” to the UK to steal. Don't you have laws against their activities in your country? Then why don't you inform our country?
Aug 13th, 2014 - 12:24 pm 0
aussiesunshinee
*1 you sound more like a whinging pom than an Irishman!!!
Let´s look at Ireland´s fishing economical figures for 2013:
Export of Irish Fish stock :
France....26.000 tonnes........111 million Euros
Great
Britain....33.000 tonnes....69 million
Spain......q2.00 tonnes.....51 million
Germany...8.000 tonnes..21 million
Italy..... 3.000 tonnes...23 million
Nigeria....51.000 tonnes...40 million

Irish Market value:
Homemarket (fishing) 326 million Euros.
Exports (fishing) 489 million Euros.
------------------------
815 million Euros.

source. www.bim.ie

Try to be an Irishman and not a whinging pom
Aug 13th, 2014 - 12:45 pm 0

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