The Xunta de Galicia and the central Government have agreed on the urgency of conveying to the consumer the importance of "traceability" and "transparency" in seafood products, in order to highlight their quality and the weight that sustainability has for the entire fishing sector.
Both administrations have sent this message during the inauguration of the IV Galicia Forum for Global Marine Products Sustainability, a meeting in which, among others, the Secretary General of Fisheries, Isabel Artime, and the Minister of the Sea, Marta Villaverde, have participated.
In his presentation, Artime has highlighted the relevance of guaranteeing the sustainability of fishing products to ensure the continuity of a key sector both for Galicia and for Spain as a whole.
At the same time, he has wanted to emphasize not only the "challenge" of "producing well," but also the need for the consumer to perceive and recognize the effort made by the sector. In this regard, he has pointed out that it is essential to strengthen traceability systems and transparency mechanisms to convey that information clearly to the public.
Villaverde has expressed himself in similar terms, emphasizing the need to protect the future of marine resources and the communities that depend on them. He recalled that the sea constitutes an "essential source" of wealth and employment for Galicia, making it essential to guarantee its sustainability.
The councilor also stressed that consumers are increasingly demanding and are requesting more data on the origin of products and on the conditions under which they have been caught or fished.
All of this, he added, must be done with the objective that coastal areas continue to be spaces of opportunity, economic activity, and generational change, while protecting biodiversity and conserving the richness of the oceans for future generations.
The president of the New Pescanova Foundation, José María Benavet, was in charge of opening the round of speeches, also defending the centrality of sustainability in seafood products and the role of this forum, which he considers key to fostering debate and the comparison of positions among participants.
As representative of one of the organizing entities, he has underlined the importance of the joint work of the entire sector to guarantee its future and safeguard the health of the oceans.
For his part, the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, has highlighted the experience and know-how of the maritime sector in the city, with centuries of trajectory, and has criticized "populist environmentalism" that blames fishing for the deterioration of the oceans and "forgets that it comes from other places, such as plastics".