Rules for fishing in Spanish waters and selling fish

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The law regulates maritime fishing in outer waters, an area under exclusive State authority, and sets the basic rules for organizing the fishing sector and marketing its products.
2. To fish, a vessel must be listed in the Census of Maritime Fishing Vessels, carry a fishing license and, in some cases, a special fishing permit.
3. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food can limit the number of vessels, fishing time and catch volume, regulate fishing gear, set minimum sizes and declare fishing bans to protect resources.
4. Fishing protection zones can be declared, such as marine reserves, marine conditioning zones and marine restocking zones, where fishing may be banned or limited.
5. Fishing possibilities are distributed among vessels that regularly work each fishery, based on criteria such as past activity and the vessel's technical features. They can be transferred with authorization, and one company cannot hold more than 30% in a fishery.
6. The first sale of fresh fish takes place at port auction markets, and it is forbidden to sell or hold products below the regulated size. Selling catches from non-professional fishing is also banned.
7. The law defines minor, serious and very serious offenses, with fines from €60 to €300,000 and additional penalties such as withdrawing authorizations or seizing the vessel.
8. For maritime fishing, the State enforces penalties in outer waters; for sector organization and marketing, the Autonomous Communities process and decide cases under the State's basic rules.

Who it affects

• Vessel owners and fishing crews: They must be in the censuses, carry licenses and permits, and comply with quotas, sizes, fishing bans and onboard documentation.
• Non-professional fishers (recreational fishing): Conservation measures apply to them and they may need authorizations; they cannot sell their catches.
• Fish trading and processing companies: They must guarantee product identification, quality and legality; violations are penalized.
• Fishermen's guilds (Cofradías) and producer organizations: The law recognizes their nature and duties, and regulates their official recognition and operation.
• Autonomous Communities: They implement the basic rules on sector organization and marketing, and penalize offenses in those areas.

Words worth knowing

Aguas exteriores (outer waters)

Marine waters under Spanish sovereignty or jurisdiction located beyond the baseline lines.

Caladero (fishing ground)

An area of the sea where fishing is allowed, subject to specific management or conservation measures.

Posibilidades de pesca (fishing possibilities)

The catch volume, fishing effort or fishing time assigned to each vessel under the law's distribution system.

Lonja (fish auction market)

A port facility where fresh fish is displayed and sold for the first time.

Veda (fishing ban)

A temporary or area-based prohibition or limit on catching certain species.

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