Feb
7
Fishermen in the port of Vigo. (Julieta Fonterosa/Copyright: FIS)
Fishermen face great economic losses due to severe weather
SPAIN
Friday, February 07, 2014, 23:40 (GMT + 9)
The members of the fisheries and shellfish sectors of Galicia fear suffering considerable losses by the bad weather conditions prevailing since the beginning of the European winter.
For fishermen and shellfish gatherers from Galicia, current conditions “are the hardest since 2000,” newspaper Faro de Vigo informed.
Due to strong waves and wind, workers cannot work normally. The idle situation of the fleet has caused the increase of clams’ death by more than expected.
Brotherhoods from the bottom of the estuary estimated that about 70 per cent of the clams have died.
According to Jose Antonio Gomez, master of Portonovo’s Fishermen Brotherhood, the fleet came to an almost complete stop.
“It’s been four days that hardly anyone has gone out and before, we went out to fish every other day,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marina Buceta, president of the Brotherhood of San Telmo said the 400 shellfish gatherers of this brotherhood and those of Raxo and Lourizan are finding scarce availability of the mollusc in the sands.
“Right after the summer all cockle had died and now we find that 70 per cent of carpet shell and Manila [clam] is worth nothing,” she added.
To Buceta, this mortality is due to the constant “swell”.
“This winter is being very hard. If before we won 30, now we won’t even get 10,” she regretted.
The severe weather conditions also affect the seine sector fishing for sardines and jack mackerel.
As a result of this almost total cessation of shellfish and fish catch activity in Galicia, sales have fallen in recent weeks almost 60 per cent.
Jose Manuel Orellan, Ribeira market manager and city official, said before each kilogram of sole cost EUR 12 and now it is at EUR 18, while the king crab was worth EUR 10 and climbed to EUR 25.
Fishermen in Asturias are also concerned.
“Since December we have had very rough seas and we could just go out fishing, and the problem is that payments are becoming due and we don’t see money anywhere,” said Jose Antonio Rodriguez Mendez master of Luarca fishermen Brotherhood, La Nueva España informed.
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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