The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published today in the Official State Gazette (BOE) the modification of the resolution of the General Secretariat of Fisheries that establishes the provisions for the management of the North-East Atlantic mackerel fishery, corresponding to the stocks of northern mackerel, and that affects the vessels of the censuses of the high, high altitude and longline fleets of less than 100 tons of gross registry operating in the areas under the jurisdiction of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC).
In order to optimize the available resources and respond to the needs of the sector, quota exchanges have been negotiated with Poland and the Netherlands, thanks to which Spain has received an additional 1,150 tons of northern mackerel. This increase in quota has allowed the fishery, which had been closed on a precautionary basis since mid-March, to be reopened on 10 May, and the daily catch limit to be increased from 3,000 to 8,000 kilograms per vessel per day throughout its distribution area.
In this way, almost 90 vessels belonging to the fleet of Gran Sol and Bay of Biscay, as well as the authorized fleet of the Cantabrian and Northwest fishing grounds, will be able to return to directed fishing of northern mackerel in their distribution area, as long as quota is available.
With these measures, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food seeks to ensure the sustainability of mackerel fishing and protect both the interests of the sector and marine resources, while promoting the continuity of fishing activity of this highly migratory and explosive resource.