The Minister of the Sea, Marta Villaverde, has warned the European Commission that the 2040 Vision for fishing and aquaculture, recently presented, correctly diagnoses the sector's problems but does not include a commitment to revise the basic Regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), whose last major reform dates back to 2013. This message was already conveyed on October 14th during a meeting in Brussels with DG MARE, where the call was "not to go back, but to move forward".
Galicia demands three key points from the Commission: the definition of the scope and timeline for a specific CFP review with justified legislative proposals; a regulatory solution for the landing obligation, whose results have not been as expected according to the Commission itself; and permission to renew the fleet without it being considered an increase in fishing effort.
The Commission's document acknowledges the limited improvement in fishing profit margins, low investment returns (4.6% in 2023), the aging of the fleet and workforce, and the unsatisfactory outcomes of the landing obligation. However, Brussels' response focuses on improving the application of the current framework and implementing specific initiatives, without setting a timeline for revising the basic Regulation.
Villaverde argued that a long-term strategy cannot replace the revision of the rules that condition it. Galicia does not propose a comprehensive reform nor questions sustainability objectives, but rather a specific review of the provisions that hinder the sector. The minister, as chair of the CRPM's fisheries working group, called for a review "focused on the provisions that, according to evidence, are holding us back" and stressed the need to be "honest about what has not worked" since 2013.
Regarding the landing obligation, Galicia believes that, in addition to its implementation, its design also influences the results. The Xunta will advocate for proportionate solutions adapted to each fishery, based on prevention, selectivity, innovation, and improved scientific data. They will request participation in the sector dialogue announced by the Commission for this year, aiming for a regulatory change.
Fleet renewal, according to the regional official, should not be confused with an increase in fishing effort. Galicia advocates for "capacity-neutral" renewal, with the same ceiling and entry/exit rules, allowing improvements in engines, safety, or living quarters without counting as greater fishing capacity. The European fleet decreased by about 13% between 2013 and 2023, while vessels in the Galician coastal fleet are over thirty years old on average.
The 2040 Vision includes updating guidelines and evaluating effective fishing capacity indicators, and will study the adaptation of CFP rules. However, these guidelines are not binding and do not modify the capacity rules of the basic Regulation. The minister positively valued commitments such as the proposal to simplify the aquaculture regulatory framework, the integration of the STCW-F convention on fishing vessel personnel training, and the Blue Generational Renewal Strategy.
The Commission proposes a minimum reserve of 2 billion euros in national and regional partnership plans for basic CFP functions. Villaverde warned that this amount is insufficient for fleet renewal, energy transition, and generational change, and called for fisheries' needs to have real weight in financial planning. She also requested the participation of regions in designing the plans and in the future Ocean Act.
The Ministry of the Sea will convey these priorities to the Spanish Government and European institutions, asking the central Executive to promote a request to the Commission within the Council of the European Union for the review of the CFP and to establish stable coordination mechanisms with the autonomous communities.
