For years, fishermen in the European Union limit and modify their way of fishing based on what is established under the European ComissionIn it, the different Member States agree on the maximum quantities of fish and the time limits for fishing in certain areas, always depending on the type of species being caught.

These limits and ways of working in the fishing sector of the European Union are given by the fishing quotaswhich are established -in their great majority- on an annual basisFollowing the advice of various expert scientists who, year after year, analyse the fishing species and their biological situation, the ministers of each country that govern this area agree on the maximum annual tonnes that their fishermen may catch.

They also propose compensatory measures to reduce the impact of this type of work on the environment, such as respecting younger fish –No minnows, thanks– or make improvements to their vessels. Leandro AzkueDirector of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Basque Governmentremembers next to the fishing dissemination center Brotherhood the importance of setting and respecting these quotas: “It is not about fishing today to empty the sea“It’s about catching as much fish today as possible so that I can continue to catch them in the years to come.”

In addition to deciding what to fish within the European fishing area, The where and when are also decided.. Or at least, it is limited. Something that notably favors the Marine repopulation, both animal and plantFor this reason, environmental groups often keep an eye on these decisions to avoid the risk of overexploitation.

In this sense, setting a limit on the number of tons of fish that can be caught each year also avoids the risk of extinction of different marine animals. This is stated in Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy (EU Regulation 1380/2013)which says that Member States must implement environmental, social and economic criteria to carry out the distribution of fishing opportunities.

The criteria that the European Union follows to set these figures are based on the history of each country or the population density of each type of fish. Thus, they open or close the ban on fishing some species and increase or reduce the fishing quota for each member country. This quota is not exclusive to the fishermen of that country, There is the possibility of exchanging quotas between territories as long as the maximum limit is not exceeded or TAC (total allowable catches for each type of fish).

Fishing quotas in Spain for 2024

In this context, at the end of 2023, the fishing quotas that will already be applied in 2024 were set, after a negotiation that lasted almost three days. The main issue that generated opposition from Spain, France and Italy The decision was to reduce the maximum number of days that fishermen could fish during the year. The result was the following: Brussels would not increase the reduction of fishing days in the western Mediterranean, while Spain committed to reducing the impact generated by their activity.

Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, declared after the negotiation: “For there to be sustainability, profitability is necessary And if our fishing companies are not profitable, we cannot maintain a sensitive fishery.”

For their part, organizations such as Ecologists in Action They claim that this way of carrying out what is dictated in Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy does not include a system of priorities for carrying out the distribution proposed in the Law, and they state: “Historical catch records are the most common criterion for allocating fishing opportunities in all EU countries.”

The figures reached for 2024 were a cause for celebration for Minister Planas and for many fishermen, but they provoked a bittersweet feeling among environmentalists and those who fight against overfishing. Thus, the terrain on which fishermen would have to fish is the following:

More hake, roosterfish, horse mackerel and monkfish

The hakeone of the most consumed fish In Spain, it reached historic figures so far this century, reaching the 10,971 tons compared to the 9,953 obtained during 2023. Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country and Andalusia They celebrated this increase over the maximum hake catch from which they will especially benefit in these Communities.

Another white fish that saw its fishing quota increased on the Spanish coasts was the roosterspecifically the one that is caught in Cantabria or Cadiz. In 2024 it increased by 11.4%. He snuff increased its tons by almost 8% and the mackerel Galician, Portuguese and Cadiz increased to 43,032 tons.

Less sole, anchovies and crayfish

For the different species of Cantabrian and Northwest soleSpain managed to limit the reduction to 17% less, instead of the 33% initially proposed by Brussels. Bay of Biscay anchovy maintains its maximum catch amount at 33,000 tonnes, a TAC that has allowed the biological situation of this fish to be good, according to the scientific reports carried out. It is also maintained the Cantabrian langoustine for Galician and Cantabrian fishermen. For the Gulf of Cadiz, Spain achieved success in this meeting and maintained the quota of 32 tonnes compared to the 20% reduction proposed by the European Commission.

Fishing quotas in Europe for 2024

In Spain we do not only eat fish from the Spanish or Portuguese coasts, our diet also depends on the rest of Europe in this regard. Thus, Hake does drop its share by 12% in the United Kingdom and Norway. The monkfish is also expanding its fleet in the community fleet, as are the megrim and the Norway lobster. porcupine. He mackerelin the case of community waters, it drops by just -1%, which will favor remains practically stable.

What is the opinion of the fishermen?

As Azkue explained, these fishing quotas allow fishermen to organise their work schedule based on what they catch each day, knowing whether or not they are approaching the maximum tonnage of the species they decide to fish. Thus, if they have exhausted the quota of a type of fish, they can attack another or simply tie up their boats.

This argument is viewed negatively by a part of the sector, which already In 2022 they closed the year in the red. As some of them pointed out: “I’m going to pay 7,000 euros that I don’t know if I’ll be able to recover later due to the cut in quotas we have.” For some of them, putting limits on the product that feeds them means great losses in a job as complex and hard as going out to sea. In 2022, the high-seas fleet had around 87% of companies in losses, as assured by Javier Touza, president of the Vigo Shipowners’ Cooperative (ARVI).

For many fishing students the situation is discouraging, many of them have lost the desire to make the sacrifice that going out to fish entails and look with uncertainty towards the future. Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA) go with positivity the compromise reached for 2024. They thank the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food “the work carried out in the marathon Council of Ministers of Fisheries” and applaud the search for balance between the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable management of fish stocks and food security.