Spanish fishermen have warned that under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) they would become "an endangered species", and that the proposed changes would decimate the smaller sized operations.
Manuel Peinado, president of the Andalusian Federation of Fisheries, said the proposed reform of the CFP does not take into account the socioeconomic aspects of fisheries and “only refers to sustainable development", and so “would be a total failure”, reported Spanish paper, Diario de Cádiz.
He said the Federation is primarily interested in conserving fisheries throughout the European Union but the move "must be a balance between fleet and resources".
Andalusian Agriculture and Fisheries delegate Juan Antonio Blanco, criticized the proposed new rules "for endangering the survival of an industry" that generates some 15,000 direct jobs in Andalusia.
Mr Blanco said "it is certain to be detrimental to smaller vessels and endanger the survival of some, especially since a single boat could buy all the quota of a species".
One of the most criticised changes has been the new industrial classification taking in all vessels over 12 metres. “This will harm a third of the fleet of Cadiz as there are many boats of 14 metres which would then lose European support for artisanal fishing," said Mr Blanco.
The fishermen argue that the current classification is better, as it defines these artisanal craft as any vessel that discharges fish into the market every 24 hours and lacks, among other things, large freezers.
