New rules for sustainable fishing in Spanish waters

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. Commercial fishing requires a fishing license, registration in the General Fishing Fleet Registry, and membership in a census by fishing ground and fishing method. The license is tied to the vessel and lasts 4 years, renewing automatically if nothing changes.
2. The law includes conservation measures for fishery resources: limiting catch volumes, regulating fishing effort, setting minimum sizes or weights for species, and establishing fishing bans, always based on the best available scientific information.
3. Fishing protection zones can be declared, such as marine reserves of fishing interest, marine conditioning zones, and restocking zones, to protect and regenerate resources. Marine reserves must include at least an integral reserve zone where all human activity is banned except scientific research.
4. Fishing possibilities (quotas) are assigned to vessels or groups of vessels based on criteria such as historical activity, environmental impact, or contribution to the local economy. Their temporary or permanent transfer is regulated and always requires prior authorization, as do reserve quotas held by the Ministry.
5. Recreational fishing in outer waters is regulated in detail for the first time: a recreational fishing license is required, a Recreational Fishing Registry is created, and selling catches is banned. Protected species also require special authorization from the Ministry.
6. Measures are established to reduce the accidental capture of protected marine species, such as cetaceans, turtles, and birds: on-board observers, changes to fishing gear, temporary fishing bans, or handling protocols after capture.
7. A key novelty: access to Spanish fishery genetic resources will require authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the sharing of benefits from their use is regulated.
8. The law on social protection for maritime-fishing workers is amended to grant reduced retirement age coefficients to groups such as net makers (rederas), neskatillas, packers, shellfish gatherers, goose barnacle pickers, and professional divers, very hard jobs that had been left out until now.

Who it affects

• Vessel owners and fishing crews: Must meet license, registry, census, and quota requirements to fish, and follow new rules on transferring fishing possibilities.
• Recreational fishers and pleasure boats: Need a recreational fishing license, must register in the new registry, and cannot sell their catches.
• Diving centers and clubs: Pay a fee to access marine reserves of fishing interest for recreational diving.
• Net makers, shellfish gatherers, goose barnacle pickers, and professional divers: Can retire earlier thanks to the new reduced retirement age coefficients.
• Autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas): Keep their powers over shellfishing, aquaculture, and inland waters, and must coordinate with the State through the Sectoral Fisheries Conference.

Words worth knowing

Caladero (fishing ground)

An area of the sea where fishing is allowed. The law distinguishes national, EU, and international fishing grounds.

Posibilidades de pesca (fishing possibilities)

The amount of catch, fishing effort, or fishing time assigned to a vessel or group of vessels.

Veda (fishing ban)

A period or zone in which fishing is totally or partially banned so resources can recover.

Censo por caladero y modalidad (census by fishing ground and method)

The official list of vessels allowed to fish in a specific area using a specific fishing method.

Coeficiente reductor (reduction coefficient)

A percentage that lowers the minimum retirement age for especially hard or dangerous jobs.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries