Òscar Ordeig: "It's a disgrace that Brussels has put forward a proposal that cuts 60% of European fisheries funds."

BarcelonaÒscar Ordeig, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, will travel to Brussels mid-month with Prime Minister Salvador Illa to try to defend the Catalan fishing sector against the threat of further cuts to authorized fishing days. The department he heads has a budget of 23 million for the sector and this year has allocated 2.3 million to subsidize changes to nets and doors for the Catalan fleet, which has thus been able to avoid the cuts that threatened to leave it with only 27 fishing days per year.

What is the status of the negotiations to agree on a new European fisheries policy?

— As soon as we took office, we received decisions from Brussels that were highly prejudicial and unfair to the sector. We were very clear that we had to go to Brussels, where fisheries policy decisions are made, and to Madrid to exert influence and explain ourselves. Catalonia is one of the few places where we have a sector co-management committee with scientists, fishermen, and the government to ensure the most sustainable and viable fishing industry.

What has the Generalitat done in the run-up to the December negotiations?

— We faced the proposal to cut fishing days by 80%, which was ultimately salvaged at the last minute by implementing selective measures: flying doors or changing the nets. We financed 100% of the doors and nets, and therefore, we're left with the same number of days.

Has the agreement worked?

— Although last year some extra days were granted, in addition to the 130, this year they were not given because of this limitation. And in the case of shrimp, a double restriction of 130 days and a maximum of kilos has been implemented. This had never been done before. So we end up with the contradiction that, since there are so many shrimp, the quota will run out in a few days, and therefore, the days will not be exhausted. In the coming weeks, we will have many problems if this is not resolved. The ministry has committed because there is a small pool of days that can be redistributed to provide some leeway. But we could find ourselves arriving in December, when shrimp prices are highest, and we wouldn't be able to fish.

What is the root of the problem with the EU?

— The Commission hasn't defined a fishing model for the Mediterranean. What we've done in Catalonia is pioneer a sustainable and viable fishing model for the Mediterranean. We've reached a consensus and presented it to the other autonomous communities, France, and Italy. Everyone has signed it, and we went to defend it in Brussels, where everything is heavily influenced by Atlantic fishing, which takes place over many days and is industrial, while ours is a coastal fishing system, based on fresh fish, based on a Mediterranean diet.

Does Brussels not listen to Mediterranean fishermen?

— Brussels could do better. We're here and we won't stop until we move forward, because we're right and our coastline is important to us. We won't lose our boxes, our guilds, or our fishermen. That said: a message of optimism. This has a future. On October 14, we're going to Brussels with President Isla to meet with Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis.

Does the ministry give you enough leeway?

— We're clear about what we want. We've gone to the ministry, we've told them, and they agree. So do the other regions. Now what we need to do is coordinate. The ball is in the commissioner's court.

What should this Mediterranean fishing model be like?

— We need a flexible co-governance model. If fishing isn't possible in one area, we try to monitor it and ensure we can fish in the other. Currently, there's a double division, which is also absurd, between coastal and deep-sea fishing. But it's the same here! In Catalonia, we don't fish deeper than 900 meters. This isn't the Atlantic.

Is the EU demanding too much from fishermen?

— There's a disproportion between what we ask of a fisherman and how little we ask of other sectors that directly impact biodiversity. Consider maritime transport, tourism, pollution, and rising global temperatures. A scientific study is needed to assess what percentage of the decline in fish stocks is directly related to the fisherman and not to other activities.

Do you think the sector in Catalonia is sufficiently sustainable?

— We're pioneers in creating reserves and stopovers. Now we've mapped the seabed. We're fishing cleanly. We're implementing a program to collect plastics. We're helping to deploy buoys to analyze biodiversity. The fishermen of Catalonia are an example of environmental co-responsibility, not just in the Mediterranean, but around the world, and it's cost them their lives. With what's being done here, no further measures are necessary to maintain the sustainability of our Mediterranean. We've done enough.

What is the weight of fishing?

— We have 600 boats, and between fishermen, sailors, and shipowners, around 5,000 people. It's a small sector, but it has a huge social, territorial, historical, and cultural impact. Without fishing, there's no Catalan cuisine. A monument should be built to our country's fishing sector, for its resilience and hard work. What activity is present twelve months a year on the coast? Tourism is very good, but it lasts only a few months.

Are fishermen under-recognized?

— They're under-recognized for the value we place on fish, the value of their work, and the trends we're imposing. If Brussels and the government don't create a path of opportunities for people to earn a living, the feeling is that they're inviting you to cross over. Are we paying to scrap or to invest? It's necessary to generate a certain pride and a future vision. When a young person in high school asks themselves what they want to do when they finish school, it's necessary for an activity to have a certain appeal. This means people knowing about the ports, the fish markets, the boats, and the fish culture.

Is there a lack of investment in the sector?

— Yes. Not so much in modernizing the boats, but above all, in going further and providing greater added value. If we don't focus on the entire fish value chain, we won't get ahead. We must invest more in training, in ports, in the fishing boxes, and in brand building. It's a disgrace that the Commission has presented a proposal that cuts 60% of European funds. The loss of funds is intolerable and an insult to all of us who love fishing. A ten-year model must be defined to guarantee generational renewal, investment, and added value, with processing processes and producer organizations. As in agriculture, we need to move away from the fisherman-only logic and carry out the entire processing process, generating value and earning more money. This creates excitement, desire, and value.

Why is it so hard for Brussels to listen to fishermen in the south of the continent?

— Where is there interest in Mediterranean fishing? In Spain and Italy. France has few boats, and the rest of the countries have dedicated themselves to tourism. They have either lost their fishing or have only retained the most artisanal.

And Catalonia?

— I think we're the ones with the most refined and agreed-upon future plan for where we should go. Fishermen must earn a living, but there must be environmental sustainability so there are fish in the sea.