EU fishing directives opposed

ALL political groups on Calpe council backed a motion to ask Spain’s government to rethink legislation limiting trawler catches.
The central government plans to comply with EU directives to prevent overfishing and maintain the stocks of some Mediterranean species.

Abiding by EU directives regulating trawlers entails an annual reduction in the number of fishing days allotted to each boat, which in some cases could mean a 40 per cent drop in current activities.
The local fishing sector’s fears that this could make it “impossible” to carry out “habitual tasks” had the backing of all Calpe councillors, regardless of party.
Reducing the number of fishing days would inevitably bring job losses as fewer catches would directly affect each boat’s earnings and profits, the town hall motion argued.
Calpe’s local government will now urge the central Administration and others linked to the fishing industry to halt its plans to carry out an improved study and better ways of applying the EU initiative.