The End of Bay Fishing? Over a Hundred Boats Await Brussels' Decision for 2026 Fishing Season

The fishing fleet of Alicante province, among others in the Mediterranean, is experiencing a period of uncertainty. This is not due to the waves they battle daily, but rather because they are awaiting the European Commission's decision on how many days they will be allowed to fish in 2026. All this, as of November 9th.

The uncertainty among the regional fleet, comprising around 201 boats, is evident. Of these, approximately 114 are anchored in Alicante province. Santa Pola hosts the largest number, 40, followed by Castellón de la Plana and then La Vila Joiosa.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture has contacted the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Greek Costas Kadis, to arrange a meeting to at least ascertain how many days they can fish next year. The Valencian Government is working alongside other Mediterranean regions, from north to south: Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Murcia, and Andalusia.

Drag fishing boats in the Mediterranean have been able to fish between 120 and 130 days this year, following an agreement to recover the fishing days of 2024. The initial proposal from the European Commission suggested a drastic reduction to just 27 days a year, but this was modified in exchange for the fleet implementing sustainability measures. This represented a 79% decrease from the previous benchmark, unsustainable for any vessel.

However, these 130 days have proven insufficient in some cases. Some boats have already exhausted them and must remain ashore until January. They miss the entire Christmas season, where catches are highly valued, as the price of various species, especially shellfish, skyrockets, yielding significant profits.

A situation that the Valencian Government is fighting not to repeat in the next financial year. Thus, the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Barrachina, joins the fishermen's call and urges the Spanish Government to "defend in Europe that fishermen can fish for 180 days to ensure the viability of the sector in the Valencian Community."

In the absence of action from the central Government, the autonomous regions have directly approached European authorities to understand their intentions and relay them to the fishermen. So far, there has been no response from Brussels, while the fleet waits anxiously.