Santa Pola town hall will represent the fishing sector in Brussels, highlighting the plight of those involved in the fishing sector in the town which have now seen restrictions imposed in order to protect the fish stock and eco system, amongst other reasons.
Loreto Serrano, the mayor of Santa Pola, stated that “I believe that Europe is making some cuts without really knowing the characteristics of the Mediterranean. Both the senior boss of the Fishermen’s Guild and I are going to request, through the Local Fishing Action Group (GALP) Bahía de Santa Pola, reports to the University of Alicante to be able to have documentation of the real situation and send it to Brussels.
I have also spoken with the president of the Provincial Council to see if through them we can do another study and when we have the reports we will go to Brussels, to the ministry and the department, we are going to continue fighting and defend the rights of the fishing sector.”
If 5 years ago trawlers could work 240 days a year, the now known proposal of the European Union would leave sailors without working for two thirds of the year, since they would have a maximum of 125 days of work allowed.
Serrano has lamented “the viability of the fishing companies if they are forced to work for only a third of the year, with the consequent economic and labour damage for the sailors, the shipowners and even the Brotherhood’s own workers, the entire sector would be seriously affected.
Cutting fishing opportunities in such a way would also mean a decrease in catches at the fish market and a detriment to the supply of our Peix de Santa Pola to the hospitality industry, the food sector and to the citizens themselves. With everything it has cost us to dignify the work of our sailors and enhance the quality of the brand, we are willing to fight alongside them to defend their rights.”
It should be noted that changes to the eco system have been reportedly caused by overfishing, such as the mass appearance of jellyfish on the beaches, which in turn affects tourism as well as safety, and other environmental concerns.
