The Xunta de Galicia expressed negative consideration of the approval of the fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mauritania in the European Parliament (EP).
The Galician Government argues that by not allowing the cephalopod fleet activity, the Galician workers and families will be affected from a labour and economic viewpoint.
From the beginning, Galician authorities opposed to the bilateral protocol because they deemed it too expensive for the yield obtained. For this reason, on several occasions they tried to prevent the pact between the EU and Mauritania from being ratified.
“Thanks to the joint efforts of the regional government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama) the approval of this agreement in the Committee on Fisheries of the EU was stopped last May and their conditions were improved under the Joint Commission last month,” the Galician authority remarked in a press release.
Shortly before the vote was cast at the European Parliament, the Minister for Rural and Marine Affairs of Galicia, Rosa Quintana, met with Fisheries Secretary General Magrama, Carlos Dominguez, and industry representatives from all fishing modes and autonomous communities to establish common goals and try to benefit all Spanish vessels.
Andalusia departed from this proposal although two cephalopod vessels, which are now outside the capture activity in African country’s waters, are home-based in that community.
In a last attempt, Spanish officials met with members of the European Parliament of Spain in order to show that the bilateral fisheries agreement should not have been ratified but their efforts failed to stop the support of Parliament.
Now, the Galician Executive expects the EU to take into account the cephalopod vessels when negotiations on the new agreement are re-started with the African country. In addition, it called for new agreements and fishing grounds to be sought as an alternative for this fleet as soon as possible.
The Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Galicia (CEG) regretted the “loss of fishing grounds” for the Galician cephalopod fleet and condemned the EU executive’s position, accusing it of “dramatically” ignoring the interests of this important fishing industry, reported EFE agency.
Meanwhile, Xabier Aboi, CIG-Mar spokesperson, stated that Galician owners and octopus fishermen are “really upset” with the EU decision, the agency Europa Press reported.
Aboi said “only five [boats] can go, but they are not be allowed to fish seafood or octopus.”
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