Bay of Cadiz fishing moratorium and fleet reductions
The fishing fleet commenced the annual two months of biological off-season this month. The moratorium affects 213 boats, which will be subsidised for 60 days, in accordance with the agreement reached between the regional administration and fishing sector.
Commenting on the matter, the advisor to the Agriculture and Fishing Dept, Isaiah Perez Saldaña, recalled that during his last visit to Huelva, aid to the sailors has increased 50% in recent years, from the 17 euros per day of unemployment of 2 years ago, to the daily 36 euros that they will now receive.
This unemployment is imposed with the objective of contributing to the sustainability of fish stocks in the Gulf of Cadiz, along with other measures forming part of the management plan. In this sense, Sr Perez Saldaña emphasised the necessity of preservation of stocks as the reason why the incentives increased 20%, with a view to reducing the Huelva and Cadiz province fleets by some 40 vessels. The locally affected boats are based in the 0nubenses ports of Isla Cristina, Ayamonte, Lepe and Punta Umbria, along with the Gaditanos of Barbate, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the Port of Santa Maria.
The moratorium was initially due to commence on the 15th September, but, with the incorporation of the recent changes established in the last meeting between the fishing sector and the administration, it was hoped that, as in the published ministerial order in the government’s gazette, the Estado, the fleet will confine its activity to the capture of hake, pijota, prawn, Norway lobster and squid. Other measures contemplated in the new management plan include a moratorium on national and local public holidays in the Gulf of Cadiz and to reduce the days of fishing to either Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday – presently Monday to Thursday from 0300 to 2100 hours and Fridays from 0300 to 1900 hours.
Isla Cristina shipbuilders have this week expressed their "fear" that the reason the moratorium was delayed was the lack of aid for the fishermen and shipbuilders. On requests for greater control in the matter of immature catches, Sr Perez Saldaña indicated that the Council has extended its group of inspectors to control such catch discharges, although it was satisfied with the seizures that have been made. "The important thing is that the sector was convinced that self-regulation is the best of any future options, because the fishing of immature stocks goes against everything", he remarked. The majority of the sector has accepted the increase of aid and the extension of the moratorium. Nevertheless, there have been some detractors demanding more subventions to counteract increases in the price of fuel, which cause an untenable situation for the trawlers, particularly the more modern vessels which are not designed to be fuel efficient. The reduction of the fleet is another objective, which the advisor confirmed he is working towards and considered that the trawler fleet would have to decrease by at least 50%. Sr Perez Saldaña explained that they are adopting measures "to reduce the trawler fleet from the present 210 to 150, mainly those boats more than 10 years old, which can receive a breaking premium on decommissioning". He indicated that already 31 boats have applied for this breaking-up subsidy. To that can be added those already redundant, as a result of crises in the fishing industry, which could benefit from European aid.
Furthermore, the Council of Government has authorised the Council of Agriculture and Fishing to grant aid of 8.3m euros to the company, Jose' Martí Peix, SA, for the construction and equipping of a new processing plant for fishing and aqua-culture products in Huelva. This project envisages a total investment of 16.6m euros and the creation of 55 jobs. The future facilities, which will include a refrigeration complex and diverse industrial ships, will occupy almost 30,000sq metres in the Huelva Enterprise Park, replacing the old urban factory. Its storage capacity will be 7,000 tons annually, compared to the current 2,300 tons. Production will be exclusively from Andalusian vessels |
