Sep
23
Secretary of Rural and Marine Affairs of Galicia Rosa Quintana. (Photo: Xunta de Galicia)
Galicia leads aquaculture and artisanal fishing development in EU
SPAIN
Wednesday, September 23, 2015, 22:50 (GMT + 9)
Secretary of Rural and Marine Affairs of Galicia Rosa Quintana stressed the “commitment” of this autonomous region to aquaculture and coastal artisanal fishing yesterday in Brussels, and spoke about her clues in promoting the maritime and fishing fields.
Speaking at the seminar “Blue Invest – EU Support to Maritime Regions”, organized by the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission (DG MARE), in collaboration with the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), Quintana explained the measures of the future action plan for development, competitiveness and sustainability of small-scale fishing in Galicia.
Among them, she highlighted the design of a plan for employment and training, the development of plans to improve the marketing of certain resources and the promotion of quality brands and/or names of origin. For the period 2014-2020 Galicia will have EUR 158 million from the EMFF in the axis 1 of Development of Responsible Fisheries.
Regarding the diversification of the fishing, shellfish capture and aquaculture activities, the head of Rural and Marine Affairs gave the example of the Coastal Action Groups. She noted that between 2007 and 2013, her department approved 427 projects from the GAC ones amounting to EUR 25.2 million, which generated more than 250 jobs and they were destined to support projects related to improving seafood product marketing and processing, tourism, hospitality and restoration of heritage. For this field (Axis IV of employment development and territorial cohesion) Galicia will have EUR 60 million under the EMFF.
In the aquaculture field, she offered account of the steps taken and those that are being taken to encourage the development of this activity, which in Galicia employs more than 6,000 people and that last year generated an economic value of more than EUR 170 million with more than 246,000 tonnes of production. For this activity sustainable building our community will have EUR 128 million from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014-2020.
In this regard, the secretary recalled that the Galician autonomous community declared aquaculture as having public interest in the first order to advance and grow in this productive area in sustainable environmental, economic and social fields. This statement provides, among other aspects, the articulation of a more streamlined regulatory and administrative framework and the development and promotion of training and RD+I tasks.
The aim of this seminar, opened by Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella, was to offer the opportunity to several coastal regions to explain how they are using European funds to boost maritime sectors in the EU and discuss future priorities in this area.
Its celebration is part of the duties of the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, to the Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to join efforts for knowledge creation and employment in Europe through biotechnology and development RD in the aquaculture field.
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