Octopus, hake, Norway lobster, anglerfish and elephant fish are the species most affected in Galician waters. (Photo: Stock File/ FIS)

Study cautions deterioration of Galician resources

A study by the University of Santiago warns that the resources of the Galician coast are not being availed of sustainably, and its depletion level is above the global average.

The fundamental cause of this situation is over-exploitation, as well as urbanism, contamination, inadequate policy management and climate change.

According to the study, the depletion of fishing grounds reflects the failure of sustainability policies that sector authorities have implemented for years.

Among the most affected species the following are mentioned: octopus, hake, Norway lobster, anglerfish and elephant fish. In addition, along almost all the Galician coast (excluding the Pontevedra estuary and the zone of Fisterra, on Costa da Morte), a reduction in catch was registered.

Carlos Sebastian Villasante, research author, focused on the analysis of the biodiversity of the Galician coast in relation to the activity of the artisanal fleet.

The study, which was awarded by the Marine Studies Institute for Nutrition and Food (INESMA), analysed the 1998-2007 period.

The work is innovative in two ways: on the one hand, it is the first assessment of captures stemming from autonomous waters and, on the other, it is a precursor in analysing marine biodiversity from an ecosystemic approach and not by species.

INESMA is a non-profit institution in which public and research entities participate, like Regulation and Organisation Fund of the Fisheries and Marine Farming Products Market (FROM), Marine Research Institute , the Cold Institute (CSIC) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network (CIBERobn).

They also incorporate foundations like Biomedica, Ecomar and companies like Pescanova, which are trying to promote awareness to society on the value of the alimentary patrimony of marine resources and “conservation and rational exploitation, as a live medium that is necessary to take care of and protect.”

In its research, Villasante took the presence of concentrated phytoplankton in the estuaries as a reference, to evaluate its output, and found a generalised decline in primary productivity in the richest waters of the planet.

The Vigo estuary heads this negative classification. Despite the fact that the number of vessels has been reduced, these exert greater pressure in increasing the number of fishing trips and volume of landings.

With the reduction in ships, the fishers are themselves forced to venture out more often to reach the same profit margin. Thus, 14,814 fishing trips conducted in 2001 soared to 29,405 in 2005, following the Prestige oil tanker accident. This shift reflects a 98.5 per cent hike.

On the contrary, the Fisterra zone displayed positive levels of sustainability. Here “the fleet is much reduced in comparison to the rest of Galicia,” Villasante explains.

The captures reflect a low trend while the larger species, like hake, ray or anglerfish, which are those of greater interest for the fleet, register a rise, unlike what is happening in the rest of the areas. Also more Atlantic horse mackerel, more mackerel and sanmartiños are targeted.

In order to be able to revert the present situation, the researcher suggests administrations assume, the scientific information with a binding nature, and apply the “principle of precaution” when deciding on management, while taking socio-economic repercussions into account.

By Silvina Corniola
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

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