The Spanish fleet will see an increase in its fishing opportunities in the Northwest Atlantic

The annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, which has been taking place in Vigo since the 18th, concluded today with very positive agreements for the Spanish fleet that fishes in the area, which will see an increase in its fishing opportunities for 2024, once the general state of the fishing grounds has been confirmed.

With regard to stocks of interest to the Spanish fleet, the Total Allowable Quota (TAC) for cod in zone 3M has been increased by 92%, so that the availability of this species will be 11,708 tonnes. Likewise, the redfish quota in the same area increased by 57%, with a total of 17,503 tonnes. Fishing opportunities are maintained for species such as Greenland halibut (decrease of 0.02%), skate, witch and forkbeards.

There is a slight decrease in the fishing opportunities authorised for dab, from 20,000 tonnes to 15,560 tonnes. However, this is a stock of little interest to the Spanish fleet and for which no other EU Member State has a quota. The level of boreal shrimp biomass does not allow for increased fishing of this species.

This is largely due, according to the scientific community, to the good state of the other stocks, which include fish that are predators of shrimps.

The 45th Annual Meeting of NAFO, which was held in Vigo on the occasion of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, thus noted the good results of the application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, an example for other regional fisheries organisations.

The meeting also addressed aspects of control and compliance by the Standing Committee on Control and Compliance (STACTIC), whose recommendations for the coming year were approved by the assembly. These are operational improvements, with no impact on the activity of the Spanish fleet.

In relation to the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, and other scientific stock assessment issues, the recommendations of the working groups bringing together scientists, fisheries administrations, stakeholders and NGO representatives were analysed and approved. Under the same heading, NAFO has passed a resolution to include climate change in its studies.

The Spanish delegation at the meeting was led by the Director General for Sustainable Fisheries, Monica Corrales. The Director General for Fisheries Management and Aquaculture, Ignacio Gandarias, inaugurated the meeting on the 18th. Next year's meeting will be held at NAFO's headquarters in Halifax, Canada.

Non official translation