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Sea cucumber, Holothuria forskali. (Photo: Rab2011/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Galicia authorizes new operating plans for anemones and sea cucumbers
SPAIN
Monday, January 04, 2016, 22:20 (GMT + 9)
The Government of Galicia has announced the General Shellfish Harvesting Plan for 2016, which establishes a framework to allow shellfish collection in Galicia, with the guarantee of sound resource management, in view of available data and scientific reports.
Through this plan, which has already been published in Diario Oficial de Galicia, the Ministry of Marine Affairs approves 205 operating plans, among which some new plans for species such as anemones and sea cucumbers (Holothuria forskali) stand out, which demonstrates the growing interest from the industry in the commercial development of such species.
In the case of anemones, the Council adopted nine operating plans, one more than last year, with the addition of the brotherhood of Baiona. In addition, for sea cucumber, it approved two new operation plans: One in which the guilds of A Coruna-Barallobre are involved, and one in which the brotherhood of O Grove takes part. These plans add to the operating plan of the brotherhood of Cangas, which in 2015 started the capture of this species for the first time in Galicia, in light of its emerging commercial demand. Thus, there are 27 boats involved in the exploitation of this resource.
Other resources that are involving various guilds to their exploitation plans as a complementary activity to diversify their activities are urchin and seaweed.
In addition, there are several entities that through operation plans will restart commercial rayed artemis (Dosinia exoleta) collection, activity that can be performed in size ranges between 30 and 35 millimetres.
Thus, of the 200 capture plans approved, 46 correspond to administrative authorizations for shellfish, 48 are specific plans for shellfish free areas, 35 are for goose barnacle and 18 for echinoderms. Some 25 plans are for solenidae shells (razor, pod razor and grooved razor shell) collection, 6 are for European abalone fishing, 18 for algae and 9 for anemone.
Management measures for the European spider crab, brown crab and octopus will be developed in due course through specific management plans for these fisheries. Similarly, the use of “beam trawl” and “hand trawl” for the collection of bivalve molluscs will be authorized by a management plan for these modalities.
Crustaceans
Regarding other crustaceans, the Plan states that velvet crab capture will be allowed from 1 to 5 January and from 1 July to 31 December. In the case of European lobster, the capture period shall be from 1 January to 31 March and from 1 July to 31 December.
Lobster can be fished between 1 January and 30 September and small European locust lobster from 1 to 5 January and from 1 October to 31 December. Wrinkled swimming crab, harbour crab and common crab may be captured throughout the year.
Polychaete
As for polychaete – marine worms used for bait on the coast of Galicia – the General Shellfish Harvesting Plan for 2016 states that sector associations can decide within the scope of the shellfish plan, areas where holders of recreational sea fishing licenses can capture up to 50 polychaete/day, without interfering with the catching activity.
It is worth recalling that the rules governing the catch of polychaete for bait on the coast of Galicia do not allow holders of recreational sea fishing licenses to collect polychaete in areas where there are management plans for other resources.
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