Cephalopod fishing vessels. (Photo: Stock File)

Galician cephalopod vessels struggle to return to Mauritanian waters

SPAIN
Wednesday, July 29, 2015, 03:20 (GMT + 9)

The National Association of Cephalopod Sector (ANACEF) intends that the Galician cephalopod vessels can once more fish in the Mauritanian fishing ground, after three years of being excluded under the fisheries agreement signed between the European Union (EU) and Mauritania.

The association expects the Mauritanian government readmits the Galician boats even when they may have licenses to fish for demersal species.

ANACEF sources reported they did not understand the lack of interest shown by Brussels to negotiate the return of the cephalopod vessels.

For the organization, it is not a resource issue. The owners insist there is octopus and say that as the Galician boats are only 16, their activity would not have a significant impact on catches.

Besides, it does not consider it is a matter of policy failure, as the government of Mauritania has appeared to be ready and agreed to improve working conditions in other EU fleets.

ANACEF delegates have recently met with members of the Marin Shipowner Association, with representatives of the BNG in Parliament, of Congress and the EU, in order to assess the situation.

The meeting was attended by BNG spokesperson in Congress, Olaia Fernandez Davila; the spokesperson in Brussels, Ana Miranda; the deputy of the Galician Parliament, Daniel Rodas; Marin BNG spokesperson, Pilar Blanco; President of the Association, Francisco Freire; the manager of the Cooperative of Shipowners, Juan Martin Fragueiro; and the owner Manuel Nores.

Rodas, Fernandez Davila and Miranda stressed that this lack of alternative is harming the fleet, which runs the risk of going through a scrapping process.

In this regard, they recalled that in 2012, 24 vessels were fishing in Mauritanian waters, while there are only 13 boats left.

Rodas also criticized the "abandonment by the Xunta de Galicia of a fleet that is in absolute starvation and destined for scrapping", something that at the BNG they will struggled to be avoided.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Water of the Canary Islands Government, Narvay Quintero, told local press that the Office of International Affairs and Markets of the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Mare) of the European Commission feels confident that the fishing fleet based in the Canary Islands soon recovers the ability to capture cephalopods (except octopus) in the Mauritanian fishing ground, La Provincia reported.

Narvay Quintero hoped "the possibility of having part of the pelagic catch landed in Puerto de la Luz and Las Palmas is established".

"It is very important for the fleet based in the port of La Luz and Las Palmas in the new agreement to have a similar status as that it had in the Mauritanian fishing treaty which was in force until 31 July, 2012, both in the average landing as well as in the economic activity it generated for the companies developing complementary activities located in the Archipelago," the Canarian counselor concluded.

Related article:

- Deal with Mauritania produces 'bittersweet' feelings to Spanish fishing sector

By Analia Murias
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
 

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