At an event held in Brussels on future ships.
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, has identified decarbonization, sustainability, and innovation as the new challenges the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform should focus on to evolve into a 21st-century fishing fleet.
Additionally, Planas stated that the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) "must become a more flexible instrument and play a key role in financing both the decarbonization process and the development of innovation and sustainable development projects that ensure the generational renewal of a sector with a future."
Finally, the Minister emphasized that to protect the oceans, we must prioritize sustainability by adopting more selective practices that minimize discards, improving quota management, and ensuring proper traceability from the sea to the consumer.
During the event dedicated to future ships and female leadership, held at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union (Reper) in Brussels, Spain presented the Ventura hybrid vessel project.
The prototype is a surface longliner designed for high-seas fishing in the North Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, created by sisters María José, Mercedes, and Lucía de Pazo Allariz, who manage the fishing company Veraguas Lar in Marín (Pontevedra).
The Ventura has been designed to increase energy efficiency, reduce pollution, and improve the comfort and safety of the crew.
"It is a pleasure to present this incredibly interesting initiative in Brussels, which demonstrates that what Spain says about fishing vessels is a reality. What we say, we do," noted Planas.
