The Cantabrian and north-western fencing fleet will be able to resume anchovy fishing after the increase of 1,569 tonnes in the quota allocated by the European Commission to Spain, which will reach a total of 2,287 tonnes. The resolution has been published today in the Official State Gazette.

This reopening will allow the recovery of the activity interrupted on August 11, when the fleet had to stop fishing due to the exhaustion of the allocated provisional quota of 718 tons. The measure will generate stability for the sector, promote diversification and improve productivity, especially for more than 50 Galician ships with base ports in A Coruña and Pontevedra, the main beneficiaries of this resource.

The European Commission has set the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of anchovy in Zone 9a west — Atlantic waters off Galicia and Portugal — at 22,871 tonnes for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, according to the scientific recommendation of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Of this total, the aforementioned 2,287 tons correspond to the fleet of the Cantabrian and Northwest.

To ensure the availability of the quota throughout the campaign, weekly catch limits of 6,000 kilos and 4,000 kilos per vessel are established, depending on its capacity and number of crew members, at the request of the sector itself.

The anchovy fishery is an essential activity for the Cantabrian and Northwestern fencing fleet, not only because of its commercial value, but also because of its contribution to the sustainability of the resource and to the stability of the companies and crews that depend on this activity.