Sep
9
Waiting for a quality seal for anchovy
Filed Under EN
Anchovy landing at the Bay of Biscay. (Photo: Giroa.org)
Waiting for a quality seal for anchovy
SPAIN
Tuesday, September 10, 2013, 02:00 (GMT + 9)
For four years the fisheries sector dedicated to anchovy capture in the Bay of Biscay waters has intended this fish to have a distinctive seal, which distinguishes it from a native one from third countries.
But the lack of funding from the administrations and the need for support make it difficult to create this quality seal for the Biscay anchovy.
Not only the fishing industry expected the species to have its distinctive seal, but also the regional Galician, Cantabrian and Basque adminsitrations, which announced their intention to create a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
So while the fishing sector is seeking further funding from the European Union (EU), it ensures it will continue working and “will fight” for the Bay of Biscay anchovy to obtain its quality seal, reports La Opinión.
The seal will allow consumers to clearly know the origin and traceability of the anchovy they buy.
According to Xoán Manuel López, secretary of the Galician Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, various aspects offer obstacles for the implementation of the initiative.
“Significant financial means are requested, both to assemble the entire system and to then promote it. The current crisis makes it possible for the autonomous communities and the General Secretariat of Fisheries to avoid supporting it,” explained Lopez.
The official also added that there have been some difficulties “because it is a territory that is so vast, ranging from Galicia to the Bidasoa, and it involves about 300 boats.”
Spanish fishermen also meant to cover the fleet from France involved in the coastal anchovy fishery and that share fishing grounds with local boats.
Another obstacle, according to Lopez, is the fact that the National Association of Manufacturers of Canned Fish and Shellfish (Anfaco-Cecopesca) has not defined a clear support for the proposal.
Meanwhile, Workers Commissions (CCOO) from Cantabria urged the Regional Government to lead and drive the IGP label for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay.
To CCOO, the regulation and improvement of the anchovy quality will also help alleviate the loss of employment in the food industry, reported the agency Europa Press.
But according to Jesus Villar, general secretary of the State Federation of Agrifood, so far “no” procedure to obtain this declaration has been started.
“There is an opportunity for Cantabria, which in the nineteenth century began anchovy production, to be the leader,” remarked the official, according to EFE agency.
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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