Visitors to Spain can now experience life on a fishing trawler at first hand, thanks to a new initiative in Catalonia.
The Roses Vila Marinera project is a beacon of artisanal tourism for the whole of Spain, according to the El Periodico de Catalunya newspaper.
Tourists will be able to enjoy the country’s rich cultural fishing heritage while at the same time giving Spain’s fishing industry the opportunity to earn much-needed additional revenue.
“Demand was very high for a long time, but it was previously illegal to take tourists on trawlers,” Miquel Gotanegra, chairman of the Roses-Cap de Creu water-sport department, told the paper.
In 2012, Catalonia became the first region in Spain to put a statutory framework in place to make fishery tourism possible.
“This is the first time that the tourism and fishery sectors have reached such an agreement,” said Gotanegra.
Holidaymakers to the Costa Brava can spend a day on a working trawler in Roses, Llansa and L’Escala. Safety on the 16 selected boats is checked beforehand by the relevant authorities.
It is hoped to expand the project after September to involve a full package, including arrival by high-speed train and hotel accommodation.
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