The Minister of the Sea, Marta Vilaverde, has emphasized that the agreement sealed in the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of the EU will allow the resumption of landings of common sole as bycatch between November 1 and December 31, after this fishery has been closed since June due to the consumption of the cap of 190 tons.
Vilaverde made these statements this Monday, after participating in Luxembourg at Agrifish representing the autonomous communities with competencies in fishing matters. According to a note from the Xunta, the Council reached a political agreement on fishing possibilities in the Baltic for 2027, within a regulation that also introduces adjustments for 2026 in other areas, including those related to sole in Cantabrian and Iberian waters.
The new decision adds 43 tons, which are shared with Portugal, and raises the overall quota assigned to sole in this area from 492 to 524. "It is a relief for many families who have been inactive for months, but it only lasts until the end of the year. We will continue working to ensure that 2027 has a stable solution," the minister pointed out, emphasizing that the limit for common sole for the next fiscal year remains at 190 tons.
Vilaverde also referred to the upcoming ICCAT meeting, which will take place in Vilamoura (Portugal) from November 16 to 23, reminding that the Galician surface longline fleet and the freezer depend on this fishery, as well as the canning industry, and demanded that the EU attend the meeting "with a position that protects them."
The Xunta has explained that the debate on the annual report of the Commission regarding simplification, implementation, and compliance served to highlight "central priorities" for Galicia, such as advancing in a real simplification of the Common Fisheries Policy, ensuring a proportionate application of the control regulation, and separating the concepts of capacity and fishing effort from engine power or tonnage.
In commercial terms, Galicia aligns with the proposal from France, supported by other states such as Spain and Slovenia, to take more into account the special sensitivity of fishery products in the negotiation of free trade agreements.