Spain’s Fishing Sector: Challenges and Opportunities

Posted on Feb 18, 2025 in Geography

Introduction

Importance of the Fishing Sector

The fishing sector holds significant importance for the Indian GDP, supported by a large fleet, strong domestic demand, and a high level of consumption. The fisheries sector operates broadly, and the fishing sector is concentrated in certain areas where activity acts as a monoculture.

Problems in the Sector

There are three levels of problems:

  1. Legal: The new legal order regarding sea fishing prevents the Spanish fleet from operating in certain fishing grounds.
  2. Aging Fleet: An aging and not very productive fleet.
  3. Overexploitation: Some internal fishing grounds are overexploited and polluted.

Fishing Regions and Fishing Grounds

Spain is organized into 8 fishing regions:

Northwest Region

Galician fishing retains its primacy in Spain by volume of catches. It has followed a parallel evolution to the rest of Spain, with a reduction in catches and major conflicts. Fishing grounds in the North Atlantic community are in waters far removed.

South Atlantic Region

This region is characterized by the importance of inshore fisheries, which is present due to the traditional character of the fleet and its social roots.

Mediterranean Coast

It is reaching minimum levels of capture due to the overexploitation of coastal pollution.

Canary Region

Its ports have become bases of operations for the rest of the Spanish fleet in the South Atlantic.

Fishing Grounds

National Fishing Grounds

National fishing grounds do not offer many resources; overfishing has led to their collapse. Inshore coastal fishing is practiced, which uses all sorts of gear. The fleet is usually artisanal.

International Fishing Grounds

Due to the scarcity of national fishing grounds, others must be sought abroad. The main ones are in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. High-seas fishing is possible with the appropriate fleet.

Material and Human Resources: Fleet, Gear, and Population

Population

The fishing population is defined by its decline and aging. The decrease is due to the crisis in the sector. Aging affects the majority of the population that works in artisanal fishing.

Fleet and Gear

The fleet is characterized by duality and its excessive size. There is an artisanal, traditional, and inshore fleet and, on the other hand, a modern, highly competitive fleet. The excessive size is due to the fact that in the 1960s, oil was cheaper and there was free access to international waters. With the crisis, the Spanish fleet decreased.

Species Caught and Volumes

Species Caught

Three-quarters of the species are fish; the others are mollusks and crustaceans.

Volumes

The volume of fisheries has been reduced because of the depletion of fishing grounds and bans on foreign vessels. This implies that Spain goes from being a fish-exporting country to an importer.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Crisis

Problems of the Fishing Sector

Overfishing and pollution have led to the exhaustion of domestic fishing grounds and a sharp crisis in inshore artisanal fisheries. International fishing grounds are also experiencing problems.

Fisheries Alternatives

There are three types of alternatives:

  • Substitution of a job at sea by another, such as tourism or construction.
  • Conversion of the sector.
  • Aquaculture development.