The Andalusian fishing sector as a whole, mostly integrated into the Andalusian Federation of Fishing Associations (FAAPE), has decided to renew José María Gallart García's mandate as head of the entity for another four years, after being unanimously supported at the last General Assembly.
According to the organization in a statement, this agreement ensures continuity in the defense and representation of Andalusian shipowners before the Junta de Andalucía, the General State Administration, and community institutions, "at a time when the sector faces some of the most severe regulatory and budgetary pressures of recent decades."
At the same meeting, the continuity of Alonso Abreu Lozano and Pedro Hernández Sáez as vice-presidents for the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas, respectively, was also confirmed. The new Board also incorporates spokespersons from each of the associations that are part of the Federation.
Gallart, linked to the fishing associative movement since 1978 and at the head of the Federation since 2020, also holds the position of second vice-president of the Spanish Fishing Confederation (Cepesca), which makes the Andalusian federation a "key piece in the representation chain of the country's fishing sector."
In this regard, it has been highlighted that Andalusia is the second fishing community in Spain and that its fleet, composed of 1,397 vessels (16.24% of the national total) and 14,721 employed people, of whom 5,311 work directly on vessels (17.1% of state fishing employment), records average annual catches close to 52,000 tons of fish and seafood. These figures highlight the economic and social weight of the activity for the Andalusian coastal municipalities and for Spanish fishing as a whole.
Javier Garat, general secretary of Cepesca, also spoke at the General Assembly of the Andalusian Federation of Fishing Associations, detailing the main dossiers being processed in the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament (EP). Among them, he highlighted as most concerning the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, which in its current wording contemplates a 67% cut in funds allocated to the fishing sector.
According to sector organizations, a decrease of this caliber would directly affect fleet modernization, compensation for temporary stoppages, and sustainability programs that support a large part of Andalusian fishing activity.
Given this scenario, the Andalusian Federation of Fishing Associations joins the sector's own proposal to push through an Omnibus Fishing Regulation that allows for a specific and proportionate review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its implementing rules, in coherence with the principles of good governance, regionalization, and comprehensive sustainability.
The General Assembly of the Andalusian Federation of Fishing Associations was also attended by the Director General and Deputy Director of Fisheries of the Junta de Andalucía, Carlos Aldereguía and Marcelino Bilbao, respectively. With them, matters of special relevance for Andalusian fishing were discussed, such as the conclusion in 2026 of the Iberian sardine Management Plan signed between Spain and Portugal, and the advisability of the Spanish fleet increasing its quota in this fishery.
Likewise, progress was reviewed on the "Clam Working Group in the Gulf of Cadiz" to guarantee the economic viability of one of the most emblematic fisheries on the Andalusian Atlantic coast, the situation of the fishing grounds in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Cadiz, and the draft order regulating the transfer of available capacity between fishing vessels. On this last text, the Andalusian Federation of Fishing Associations has already submitted formal allegations, as indicated.