Basques And Galicians Quarrel Over P&L Albacoreff

The Basque fishermen disagreed to the practice of pole and line fisheries by the Galician swordfish fleet in the waters of the Biscay Gulf, neither in the French nor British Atlantic areas. This is due to the fishing quotas authorized by the European Union (EU) and exclusively conceded to the Basque and the Cantabrian fleets for the fishery with live bate.

A meeting was held in Madrid last week between the representatives of the Atlantic Albacore Tuna sector and the Galician Swordfish Shipowners, with the Director of Resources of the Central Government Mr. Fernando Curcio. During this meeting many aspects were uncovered as the intention of the Spanish Administration to “give oxygen balloons” to the swordfish and shark fleets in order to fish tuna also by using surface long lining technique at the fishing grounds that have been well-maintained by the Basque fishermen (Arrantzales) during history.

Until this moment, the Galician surface long lining fleet can capture tuna species (Atlantic Albacore and Tuna), besides swordfish and sharks, only in the latitude of 36 degrees South. That means from Portugal to Africa. But the Basque fishermen will not accept any regulation that may permit the Atlantic Albacore fishery at the North Atlantic Ocean other than with “live bate”.

Therefore, last week the Basque fishermen requested to the Administration that the Ministerial Order, established on February 18^th of 1998, be imposed and fulfilled. The ruling states that the tuna species can only be caught by using live bate and “currican” artisan techniques. The president of the Guipuzkoan Fishing Association, Mr. Jaime Tejedor, also noted that “The Administration cannot impose to let swordfish fleets enter this area since there is a law held to our artisan techniques. If they enter into our fishing grounds, the tuna species will be eliminated”.

The EU has authorized 32,000 tons of white tuna as Total Amount of Catches (TAC). And due to the summer migration of this species its fishery takes place exclusively at the Biscay Gulf, even when the TAC has not been reached. Last year the tuna fleet only caught 11,000 tons. However, because of the crisis in the swordfish sector, the Spanish Administration allows these vessels (most of which are Galician) to fish 5,000 tons of tuna in North Atlantic Ocean.

The Federation Representatives of the Fishing Associations of Basque Country and Cantabria have demonstrated their discomfort. According to Mr. Jaime Tejedor, once again the low sea fishing fleets at the Cantabric Sea becomes an exchange currency for the benefit of other sectors”. Just a few days ago, the Basque fishermen how the Arcachon Agreement would not bring them any advantages, but benefit the French fleet. The licenses granted by the Spanish administration to France enable the French fleet to increase its anchovy captures by 9,000 tons.

Mr. Tejedor said that “the EU will now allow other fleets to catch Atlantic Albacore.  However, we have demonstrated our rejection to this law and now the Administration has had to replace the word tuna with associated species within the regulation and that are included in the pole and line fishery with the capture of swordfish and sharks. However, they will never be permitted on our fishing grounds”, he concluded.