Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will call for state-funded aid to subsidise modifications to fishing nets for the entire Mediterranean fleet.
Photo: Spanish Government.
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food has announced a series of measures to support the Mediterranean fishing sector following agreements reached at the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers in December.
The measures aim to ensure the entire Mediterranean fleet can maintain the same number of fishing days in 2025 as in 2024, while promoting sustainability and addressing environmental concerns, the Ministry said.
In early January, the Secretary General for Fisheries, Isabel Artime, held meetings with representatives of the fishing sector and Spain's autonomous communities, reaching a consensus for the implementation of technical upgrades to fishing gear, particularly the mesh size for trawl fishing nets (codends).
The new rules require the use of a 45-millimetre codend in coastal fisheries and a 50-millimetre codend in deep-sea fisheries. This adjustment will help the fleet comply with EU regulations while preserving fishing days, and the Ministry has committed to fully financing the purchase of the required codends.
This will consist of two new codends per vessel for those exclusively operating in either coastal or deep-sea fisheries, and four codends per vessel for mixed fisheries, with two of each type.
The financial support will be provided through state aid or under the EU's "de minimis" funding framework. The Ministry will also certify compliance with the codend specifications, valid for 12 months upon inspection.
Support will also be provided for the installation of flying doors on fishing vessels, a measure which the Ministry says has already been implemented by many Mediterranean fishing operators, with the benefit of reducing fuel consumption by up to 30%.
In line with the EU agreement, the Spanish government will also introduce temporary stoppages. The fleet will be eligible for financial aid from the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund for temporary halts in operations, for the same periods as in 2024, for both shipowners and crew.
The Ministry also said it will continue to collaborate with the fishing sector and autonomous communities to assess the profitability of ports and sales trends at fish markets, addressing any adverse effects.
Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, is due to meet with regional fisheries representatives on 15 January to finalize the implementation of these measures.
He said the government acknowledges the sector's ongoing efforts since 2020 to recover fish stocks in the Mediterranean, and aims to balance environmental preservation with the economic needs of fishing communities.