Catalan Fishermen Raise Alarm Over Common Fisheries Policy in Spanish Senate
Catalan fishermen warned the Spanish Senate that current Common Fisheries Policy restrictions threaten their livelihoods and called for urgent policy reforms in the Mediterranean.
- • Catalan fishermen criticize European CFP for threatening their livelihoods due to restrictive quotas and fleet regulations.
- • Mario Vizcarro called for increasing Mediterranean trawlers’ fishing days to 180 to sustain the sector without subsidies.
- • Overabundance of tuna affects small pelagic fish, prompting calls for expanded catch permits.
- • Spanish Minister Luis Planas highlighted the need to strengthen CFP and CAP for food security amid climate and economic challenges.
Key details
During a recent session in the Spanish Senate, Mario Vizcarro, secretary of the National Federation of Catalan Fishermen's Guilds, urgently called attention to the pressing challenges Mediterranean fishermen face due to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Vizcarro highlighted that current European regulations jeopardize the livelihoods of fishermen and threaten their way of life if reforms are not promptly enacted. The debate, initiated by the ERC party, focused on how EU policies are reducing fishing opportunities in Catalonia, especially through restrictions on Minor Arts fleets and stringent quotas on species like bluefin tuna and blue crab.
Vizcarro pinpointed the impact of an overabundance of tuna species on small pelagic fish populations, calling for expanded catch permits to prevent wastage of these fish at sea. He proposed increasing allowable fishing days for Mediterranean trawlers to 180 days with an additional 52 days of closure, contrasting with the current 130 days plus a short Christmas campaign allowance. He described this increase as the "minimum" requirement for the sector's survival without subsidy dependence.
This debate underscores broader concerns about the CFP's effectiveness in safeguarding the sustainability and economic viability of Mediterranean fisheries. Meanwhile, Spanish Minister Luis Planas emphasized at a separate forum the critical role of reinforced Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies in ensuring European food security amid challenges like climate change and rising food production costs. Planas criticized the European Commission's lack of strategic clarity in its proposals and stressed the need for cohesive policies that support producers across the continent.
Together, these interventions from Catalonia and the national government spotlight urgent calls for European policymakers to reassess and strengthen the CFP to balance environmental conservation with fishermen's economic needs in the Mediterranean region.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
