Mackerel capture. (Photo: Juan Murias/FIS)

Brussels reduces mackerel overfishing sanction

SPAIN
Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 02:10 (GMT + 9)

In 2013 and 2014 Spanish mackerel fishermen will have to pay a lower fine than that initially defined by the European Commission (EC), after finding that the fleet caught 19,621 tonnes more than what had been authorized in Atlantic and Cantabrian waters.

Brussels imposed the return of double the exceeded amount on the Spanish fleet dedicated to fishing for mackerel between 2011 and 2015, reaching almost 40,000 tonnes.

The EC ruled that the ships from Spain had their sanction reduced up to 3,244 tonnes of fish in the next two years.

The Spanish government had argued that the mackerel fishing quota for the national fleet in 2011 had not been used in full.

As a result of the sanction, the Spanish mackerel quota should be reduced by 4,500 tonnes in 2011 and 5,500 tonnes in 2012.

While in 2013 it would fall by 9,748 tonnes, about the same as in 2014 and 2015, reported La Opinión.

Meanwhile, the president of the Galician Federation of Fishermen, Benito Gonzalez, said "whatever implies the increase in the quota, however little, is positive."

Anyway, he added: "The underlying problem remains and it is the scarce quotas for Spain, and it is necessary to struggle in Brussels so as to end this injustice."

Gonzalez insisted in reporting incongruity: "that there are so many mackerel specimens in the sea and can not fish while the fishing activity in the north is too high, with industrial vessels."

Related article:

- Damanaki confirms penalty for Spain due to overfishing of mackerel

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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