Xàbia calls on the Government to rethink latest regulations that limit fishing activity
An amendment seeks to limit the number of days that fishing vessels can work and establishes maximum catch quotas of certain species.
Saturday 18th December 2021 – XÀBIA AL DÍA with Mike Smith
Xàbia Council is showing its support of the fishermen of the municipality in the face of a snub to the fishing sector in the latest amendment agreed by the Spanish Government that translates into a new regulation that limits the number of days that fishing vessels can work and establishes a maximum catch quota of species such as red shrimp.
This new regulation (the third in three years) seeks to guarantee a 6% reduction in catches. The decision is entirely practical and consistent, especially when there has not yet been enough time to evaluate the results of the previously agreed reductions (10% and 7.5% respectively).
This, together with the schedule of temporary closures, the imposition of a reduction in working days of trawlers and the proposal of permanent closures for three areas, creates an unviable situation for a significant number of professionals in the sector.
In the next plenary session, Xàbia will ask the Government for a dialogue with the fishing sector to establish a consensus that ensures the economic viability of this important activity. The motion presented by the mayor is already in the hands of the party representatives, according to municipal sources. In it, Chulvi highlights the value of the fishing sector “as a strategic sector both in our town and in a large part of the Mediterranean coastal municipalities” and emphasizes the jobs, direct and indirect, that are closely linked to it. In addition, he underlines the cultural, tourist and historical value of the fishing sector so deeply rooted in the municipality.
