Common front of Catalonia and four more communities to defend Mediterranean fishing in Brussels

BarcelonaRepresentatives from Catalonia and four other communities –Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and the Valencian Community– met this Thursday with the European Commissioner for Fisheries, the Cypriot Costas Kadis, to demand that the fisheries proposals to be presented shortly by the European Commission for 2027 ensure the viability of the sector and coastal communities. In the same vein, the five territories have claimed from Brussels the "efforts" that fishermen have made in recent years to improve the state of fish stocks in the Mediterranean.

Catalonia, represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, has demanded that the situation cannot continue as it is. "We want an adaptation of all community fisheries regulations," he pointed out in statements to the media, and stressed that the country's coastal fishing "has suffered devastatingly from the effects of poor regulation." "We have lost fishing fleet and maritime workers, and this has had a very significant socioeconomic impact," he emphasized.

It should be remembered that Brussels, at the end of 2024, opted to propose a drastic reduction in trawl fishing days in the Mediterranean under the argument that it was necessary to revive fish stocks. After numerous protests and demanding an update to the methods for calculating the quality of species populations, the European Union accepted a less pronounced cut, but in exchange for new ecological measures.

Satisfaction of the regions

Upon leaving the meeting, Minister Ordeig expressed he was "satisfied" that the European Commissioner had listened to the communities' requests and appreciated that Brussels is willing to make changes to the regulations. "In the coming weeks we expect to have updates, but he has already told us that there will be modifications, including in the assessment of stocks," Ordeig stated.

In parallel, the head of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food also pointed out that Kadis "has recognized the efforts" of the fishing sector to promote sustainable practices and that he has received the scientific reports to demonstrate that these tasks have allowed the reserves to recover. However, Ordeig also issued a warning to the European Commission, to advise it that he will reject any new proposal that suggests cuts of 80% to the days the Mediterranean fleet can go out to fish.