Trawl fishermen from all over Spain have expressed their discontent and disappointment with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, headed by Luis Planas, and therefore with the European Commission. Despite having complied with the new requests for nets with larger holes and flying doors on the vessels to avoid further damaging the seabed, the group has not seen an increase in the number of fishing days as they were promised if they complied with these regulations. “We feel cheated because the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas, promised to maintain the working days,” they lamented from the Fishermen’s Guild.
With this perspective and although they maintain hope that an agreement can be reached in this final stretch of the year, the fishermen warn that if it is not achieved, the Christmas season is in serious danger. But the consequences would not only affect the Christmas campaign, but are already wreaking havoc among fishermen who have been left unemployed and shipowners who have to leave their vessels in port because they cannot go out to fish. For example, if we look at Catalonia, there are boats stopped in the ports of Barcelona, Cambrils or Roses and in Tarragona 85% of the vessels have exhausted their fishing days.
2026, the same or worse
And the worst of all is that the prospects for the year 2026 do not bode well for trawl fishermen. Not only because these restrictions on fishing days may remain, but because Spain is preparing for a relevant change in recreational sea fishing. Starting January 10 of next year, any amateur who casts a line from the coast or goes out on a boat with a valid license will have to electronically register their day. It will not be enough to write down what you take home: you will also have to declare what you return to the sea, even on days when you catch nothing.
