The Government submits objections to the new European fisheries control regulation

The Director General for Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, will attend the rally called at the Palma fish market in support of the Balearic fishing sector.

The Government has sent the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food a document setting out objections to the new European Fisheries Control Regulation, specifically to the obligations linked to the Electronic Logbook (ELB), which the sector considers unworkable for the reality of the Mediterranean coastal fleet.

The objections, drawn up by the Directorate General for Fisheries of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, highlight that the Balearic fleet mostly operates on trips of less than twelve hours, with daily departures from and returns to the home port, nearby fishing grounds, and the immediate marketing of catches fresh through fish markets. In this context, the Government argues that the current system already ensures real-time digital control of both catches and their traceability, making the new requirement to notify port arrival four hours in advance a disproportionate and unnecessary measure.

Furthermore, the document warns that the great biodiversity of the Mediterranean means vessels land small quantities of many different species, which makes the correct completion of the ELB extremely difficult. It also cautions that the obligation to stop at sea or at the port entrance to sort catches and enter data increases fuel consumption and may create risks to maritime safety.

In this regard, the Director General for Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, will attend tomorrow’s rally scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at the Palma fish market, held in connection with the sector-wide stoppage, as a clear gesture of support for fishermen in the Balearic Islands. Grau stated that “the Government stands alongside the fishing sector and firmly defends regulations adapted to the reality of our fleet. We cannot allow decisions taken in Brussels, without taking into account the specific characteristics of the Mediterranean, to jeopardize the economic and social viability of a strategic sector for the islands.”

The Director General added that “fishermen carry out exemplary work in terms of sustainability and catch control. It is not fair to burden them with more bureaucracy that brings no real improvements and takes away time they need to do their job properly.”

Through these objections, the Balearic Executive formally requests that the Ministry establish exemptions for the coastal fleet that markets its catches fresh on the same day and that the obligation to submit the ELB prior to landing be maintained, but without imposing rigid deadlines that do not fit the sector’s operational reality.

In this way, the Regional Ministry will continue working in coordination with fishermen’s guilds and federations to defend their interests before the State and European institutions, with the aim of ensuring a sustainable future for fishing in the Balearic Islands.

Furthermore, the Government also wishes to express its support for recreational fishermen, who are likewise affected by the new requirements arising from the reform of the Control Regulation, particularly with regard to catch declarations. “Recreational fishing is part of our social and cultural fabric, and it is necessary to ensure that regulation is proportionate and understandable, without penalizing an activity that is practiced responsibly. For the proper management of certain species, it is important to know the catches from non-professional fishing, but this must be done with the involvement of the fishermen themselves and without an inquisitorial approach,” Grau concluded.