Spain’s thrust to maintain its international fishing effort has seen the setting up of deals for 264 ships around the world.
Joint ventures have been established in: Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Dutch Antilles, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and the Falkland Islands.
On the continent of Africa, deals are under way in Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique. Also, St. Helena.
Out of these joint ventures, only 21% were established under EU agreements. So, self-financing private projects have been established for the remaining 79%.
These projects involve operating in third country waters to supply mainly, but not exclusively, the Spanish market demand, which absorbs 80% of the catches.
In addition, processing plants have been set up in the partner countries and this is generating jobs in developing countries and contributing strongly to local economies.
According to statistics from the Vigo-based organization Cetmar, the largest number of plants have been set up in Namibia, Morocco and Argentina, echoing the viability of business co-operation with these countries.
The 264 joint venture ships are generating EUR 1,312 million in total trade volume and creating a total of 7,898 jobs: 3,000 in the EU and 4,898 outside the EU. Investments in vessels have amounted to EUR 461 million.
According to Cetmar, the idea behind these joint ventures is sustainable fishing while maintaining the seafood supply to the EU, also to reduce poverty levels.
Spain operates the EU’s largest fleet at over 15,000 vessels, but this fleet has been forced to change tack a number of times in recent years in response to such events as the halibut war off Newfoundland, closure of Namibian waters and the ending of the Moroccan agreement.
The next challenges facing the long-distance Spanish fleet is the scheduled ending in 2004 of EU subsidies for joint ventures and vessel modernization under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The EU has been warned of the “enormous socio-economic costs deriving from joint venture agreements that will cease to be in forceâ€.
Since 1981 the EU has negotiated 26 fisheries agreements with third countries. Spanish regional governments have also made agreements with third countries.
The regional governments include the Xunta de Galicia (where most of the Spanish fleet is concentrated) and Andalusia, which is the area where there is the largest proportion of Spain’s smaller fishing vessels. Also involved has been the Canary Islands.
Spain’s cephalopod industry operated 77 ships in Moroccan waters until December 1999. With Morocco’s refusal to renew its agreement with the EU, eighteen ships have been scrapped as they were not suitable for operating in other waters, or their owners were unable to carry on waiting for new opportunities to be secured.
Fourteen have gone into joint ventures with Morocco, Mauritania, Angola, Senegal, Brazil and Argentina and one has been leased to Namibia.
According to the Spanish fishing sector, the EU-Greenland fishing agreement is not being exploited to its best potential. Large numbers of cephalopods have been found in the stomachs of whales off Greenland.
Other initiatives to find fishing grounds include the Nauta Program promoted by the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation.
The aim of this program ratified on December 3rd, 2002, is to co-ordinate public and private players involved in Spanish initiatives in African countries on the basis of sustainable management of resources and to assist local development.
Spain’s long experience in the fishing world is channeled through the Nauta Program. It co-ordinates the benefit of Spain’s international fisheries research, high marketing standards and home demand now at an estimated 34 kg per capita annually.
The Nauta Program covers policy and administrative management of fisheries, research, development, training, aquaculture and fisheries services, such as marketing and quality control.
The European Economic and Social Committee (CESE), under the managing director Julio Moron, aims to reach agreements for the Spanish fleet mainly with African countries.
Operating within the framework of the FAO Responsible Fishing Conduct Code of 1995 and backed by the Council Resolution of November 8th, 2001, the underlying principle of CESE is sustainable fishing under agreements to reduce poverty in developing nations.
Fisheries agreements under the CESE Program for the Spanish fleet will open the way for transferring technology and know-how via investments in joint venture. Spain considers that the joint venture is the ideal vehicle for co-operation between EU and third countries.
