Spain’s Fisheries and the EU Common Fisheries Policy

Posted on Oct 30, 2024 in Geography

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Objectives

  • Increase productivity
  • Raise farmers’ living standards
  • Stabilize markets
  • Guarantee supply
  • Prevent high consumer prices

Methods

  • Eliminate customs duties
  • Prioritize European products
  • Establish the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)

1991 CAP Reform

Upon Spain’s 1986 entry into the European Economic Community (EEC), the CAP’s high costs (two-thirds of the EU budget) led to reforms in 1991, aiming to:

  • Reduce agricultural spending
  • Maintain farmer production levels
  • Protect the environment
  • Promote rural development through the European Social Fund (ESF) and the LEADER program

Spanish Fishing: A Changing Tradition

Historical Overview

  • Ancient Times: Preserved fish and sauces (garum) exported to Rome. Traps used for fishing.
  • Middle Ages: Primarily subsistence fishing, with exceptions like Basque whaling and cod fishing in distant waters (Newfoundland, Iceland, Greenland from the 13th century). Tuna fishing using traps in the Guadalquivir estuary.
  • 19th Century Onward: The Industrial Revolution brought steam navigation, boosting trade and fish processing industries.
  • Post-Civil War and WWII: Increased fish stocks and the adoption of liquid fuel engines and new deep-sea trawling techniques led to higher catches.
  • 1960s: Fishing fleet modernization and freezer vessels. In 1961, the first two freezer vessels fished in South Africa and South America.
  • Post-1960s: Inshore fishing persisted, but a modern freezer fleet became dominant, fishing in the waters of the Sahara, Angola, Mozambique, and the Northwest Atlantic. Catches peaked at 1.5 million tons in 1974.

Spain and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

Entry into the EEC (1986)

Spain’s 1986 entry into the EEC presented challenges:

  • Establishment of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)
  • Complex national and international fisheries situations
  • Resistance from other member countries to Spain’s large fishing fleet (two-thirds of the European total), leading to harsh conditions
  • The 1983 Blue Europe Regulations, implemented before Spain and Portugal’s full integration, established the CFP with four main points:

Four Main Points of the CFP

  • Resource Conservation Policy: Low annual catch rates forced the Spanish fleet to undergo significant conversion.
  • Structural Policy: Improvement of structures, processing industry, and ports. Adjustment of fishing fleet availability.
  • Common Market Organisation (CMO): Guaranteed fair income for fishermen and affordable prices for consumers, similar to agricultural CMOs.
  • Policy on Access to Foreign Fishing Grounds: Agreements with non-EU countries for access to their fishing grounds.

Spain’s Achievements and the 2002 CFP Reform

Despite difficulties, Spain secured subsidies for building a thousand new ships and converting over two thousand. The 1996 completion of the transitional period granted Spain access to previously restricted European fishing grounds and enabled negotiations with other countries.

In 2002, the EU reformed the CFP, focusing on the sustainable development of fisheries (economic, ecological, and social), aligning it with European environmental and development policies.

Since 2008, the CFP has been under evaluation and monitoring for its 2013 revision.