Fisheries Director Leandro Azkue has indicated that the agreement favors the coastal fleet, but not so much the offshore fleet. He also expressed his concerns about the situation of the Verdel biomass.
Last morning, European Union (EU) fisheries ministers agreed on fishing quotas for 2025. Overall, the agreement favors the coastal fleet and harms the deep-sea fleet.
In an interview with Euskadi Irratia, the director of fisheries of the Basque government, Leandro Azkuehas made an initial “bittersweet” assessment of the deal. According to him, the reading is uneven depending on the type of fleet (high or low). Overall, he believes the coastal fleet “hasn’t done too badly”, but for the offshore fleet it is “worrying news”.
The ships of shoal from Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa will be able to catch more monkfish (4,490 tons, an increase of 17%), roastfish (23%) and chicharro (6,719 tons). In addition, they maintain the southern hake quota (10,900 tonnes, the same as in 2024). On the other hand, the copper quota is reduced by 22% due to the poor situation of the species.
The fleet of heightFor example, in Ondarroa (Bizkaia) the catch of monkfish, cockerel and lily will decrease. In addition, the catch of northern hake will decrease by 20%. According to the Fisheries Director, it is still too early to quantify the economic consequences of the reduction in quotas for the offshore fleet. However, he has acknowledged that it is very likely that the price of fish in the market will increase.
In addition, Leandro Azkue has shown his concern about the situation of the green biomassas there is less and less greenery on the Basque coast. As he explained, the greenfish quota has decreased over the past three years, and the Basque arrantzales have failed to complete the quota this year due to a lack of fish.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
