Apr
8
Fishing gear known as ‘xeito’. (Image: IES Francisco Asorey)
Galicia seeks exclusion of ‘xeito’ as EU banned fishing gear
SPAIN
Wednesday, April 08, 2015, 23:50 (GMT + 9)
General Secretary of Marine Affairs of the Secretariat of Fisheries and Rural Affairs of Galicia, Juan Maneiro, states that the views expressed by the European Commissioner for Fisheries on the possible exclusion of the traditional Galician fishing gear, ‘xeito’, as banned fishing gear in the European Union (EU), “has encouraged optimism.”
According to Maneiro, Commissioner Karmenu Vella has a good disposition in favour of the view that the ‘xeito’ can be legally accepted at Community level in accordance with EU regulations.
The secretary told members of the Galician Parliament that at a meeting held in Brussels with the President of Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, Vella remarked that the scientific and technical studies sent by the Galician government were key to tilt his position in favour of the view that the ‘xeito’ can continue being used.
During his parliamentary hearing, the Secretary General of Marine Affairs pointed out that Vella is aware of the fact that Galicia is a maritime-fishing power in the EU. In this regard, Maneiro stressed that this autonomous region has 4,500 boats and that fishing supports 12,000 direct jobs and 26,000 indirect ones. “We even possess 10 per cent of the maritime-fishing employment in the EU,” he added.
“Galicia wants to comply with the regulations, so we are in favour of the main aspects of the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), such as the scope of the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) or the elimination of discards, but gradually and without affecting the social and economic fishing structure,” added the Galician official.
In addition, he stressed that they are working on and strongly supporting “the rules to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities”.
Maneiro also recalled that Nuñez Feijoo urged the European Commissioner to review the allocation of quotas establishing flexibility mechanisms that make it possible to have a progressive adjustment between capacity and fishing opportunities.
He said the president of Galicia spoke to Vella on the need to work towards practical development standards, which do not involve the implementation of measures to prevent the normal exercise of the fishing activity, as in the case of onboard storage and notes kept in logbooks.
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By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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