For years, the European Union has divided up the annual total allowable catch (TAC) into quotas for individual member states using a formula it refers to as "relative stability," but at a recent conference in Spain, leaders in the Spanish fishery sector agreed that they'd like to see the formula change.
Many of these speakers who presented at the conference, organized by the Foundation of Minimum Economic and Social Performance, said the formula does not always accurately reflect member nations' fishing capacities.
Carme García Negro, a lecturer at the University of Santiago and an expert in maritime affairs, also addressed the important reduction of the Spanish fishing fleet over the last years. "Over the last years the removal of ships has been a continuous process and we mustn't tear down the wrong named principle of relative stability."
Torcuato Teixeira, a member of the Foundation, agreed. Additionally, he considers that it is especially unfair that some countries have more fishing possibilities compared to their capacity, whereas Spain is in the opposite situation.
Bernhard Friess, from the E.U.'s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, noted that European countries can fish in waters of other Member States thanks to the E.U.'s common fisheries policy, and they want to give a level-playing field for everyone. Regarding the possibilities of changes in the principle of relative stability, he said "an agreement is needed in order to change it."
Ignacio Vázquez, president of Pescaldía, a supply company of seafood products, disagrees with the current management model. He considers that it has negative consequences for Spain, such as lost market share to imports due to occasional shortages from a lack of quota.
