The head of the General Fisheries Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA), Carlos Dominguez, ensured that “to the Government of Spain to ensure fishery resource sustainability and to effectively combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are two non-negotiable priorities.”
This was explained by the official after signing a letter of intent with the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA) in order to provide greater transparency, improve monitoring and to establish greater control over the activities of the fishing fleet registered in third countries.
The ceremony was also attended by parliamentarians and representatives of the capture sector, marketers and large distributors, and scientific and non-governmental organizations.
The agreement “represents a turning point in creating a transparent relationship between the industry and the Administration in the control area and the struggle against illegal fishing,” added Dominguez.
This protocol simplifies the analysis of risks of imported items by these ships of Spanish interest, who voluntarily agree to offer to the Secretariat information on licenses, newspapers, landing declarations and satellite positions.
During the last two and half years, the Executive has been working on this and “very positive results that are being exported to EU and international level” have been obtained, he added.
The official also noted that Spain is the only EU country that has implemented a private license verification procedure.
He further stressed the importance of the fact that “the sector has incorporated these fishery sustainability defense principles and the fight against illegal fishing.”
Finally, Dominguez presented the Science and Technology Strategic Plan for sustainable tropical tuna fishing management by freezer purse seiners.
This initiative “implies the culmination of a long and fruitful collaboration process among scientists, the industry and NGOs committed to a sustainable management model,” continued the secretary.
And he pondered the responsibility of the tuna fishing fleet of Spain, “which is ahead its competitors in the development of research activities to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its business” through more selective fishing gear boost, the use of biodegradable materials or the most accurate and comprehensive fisheries data collection, Magrama reported in a press release.
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