Agriculture Ministry Assures No Shortage of Fish and Seafood for Christmas Despite Limited Fishing Days in the Mediterranean

"There will be no shortage of fish and seafood for Christmas," assured the Minister of Agriculture. He acknowledged that last year "we faced issues with the quantity of red shrimp due to limited fishing days," which led the government to allocate a percentage of 2025's days to allow additional fishing during the 2024 Christmas season.

The minister spoke during a visit to Valencia, addressing various current issues, including the confinement of poultry due to avian flu and the fishing days for Mediterranean trawlers, which face significant annual reductions.

Planas expressed concern over the matter, stating that "there is no Mediterranean without fishermen." He plans to negotiate with the European Union Commissioner, Costas Kadis, in the coming days to increase fishing days in 2026. This year, Alicante's vessels, 114 out of 201 in the region, managed to fish between 120 and 130 days, a number that fell short in many cases.

The minister emphasized his goal "to have more fishing days in 2026," asserting that scientific reports "show that fish stocks are improving and catches are going well." He noted that Kadis is "willing to explore options" and "we hope to deliver good news by the end of the year."

The increase in fishing days in the Mediterranean will be the main topic on the table during their upcoming meeting in December. Additionally, the government claims "we are coordinating with the Levante autonomous communities to adopt these positions."

Regarding the issues to be raised with the EU commissioner, aside from negotiating extra days, Planas will seek to resume negotiations on subsidies to continue renewing fleets for environmental sustainability. The minister estimates that 600 trawlers operate in the Mediterranean, providing significant catch capacity "both locally and in deep waters, particularly shrimp, which is one of the most prized catches."