MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Galicia calls on Madrid for a fisheries agreement with UK to ensure access to Gran Sol and Falklands fisheries

The Xunta wants to begin negotiations for a fishing agreement with UK to impede a legal vacuum which could lead to a drastic ban for the Galician fleet access (Referencial pic)

The regional Xunta of Galicia has called on Madrid to ensure that Brexit negotiations, and in the event of a hard withdrawal, access to the North Atlantic Gran Sol and Falklands fisheries is guaranteed.

The initiative presented by the ruling conservative majority in the region of Galicia asks the central government in Madrid to address the European Parliament and the European Council to begin negotiations for a fishing agreement with the UK to impede a “norms and legal vacuum” which could lead to a drastic ban for the Galician fleet access to the Gran Sol and Falklands fisheries.

Lawmaker from the regional Popular Party chamber Teresa Egerique was quoted saying that a possible “hard Brexit” would put at risk the 66 Galician vessels and 30 companies with UK flag flying vessels which operate at the Gran Sol North Atlantic fishery, as well as the 20 vessels in the South Atlantic Falklands fishery.

Ms Egerique also praised the very important role played by the Xunta, from the very first moment, in defense of Galician interests in the Brexit scenario.

However Xunta opposition members questioned the inconsistency of presenting at this point a proposal, as urgent, to the central government in Madrid, when the uncertainty in the fishing sector has been around for some time.

Likewise Montse Prado, member of the Galician National Block argued that the Xunta was more intent in instructing homework to others and is not sufficiently responsible to make its own decisions on such a delicate issue for the region of Galicia and one of its main industries