Dilip Kuner
A NEW YouGov poll reveals that 87% of Spaniards want more fishing rights handed to small-scale fishers, amid growing fury over industrial trawlers wrecking marine habitats.
Currently, mega trawlers scoop up the lion’s share of Spain’s quotas, while small coastal crews – over half the fleet – get just 3%.
Many of the industrial vessels drag massive nets across the seabed, destroying fragile ecosystems and wiping out everything in their path, including non-target species and juvenile fish.
Over 76% of those polled say these destructive methods, like bottom trawling, are completely at odds with a healthy ocean.
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As Spain gears up for a public consultation on how fishing quotas are handed out, conservation group Oceana is demanding a complete overhaul of the system.
Campaigners say it’s time to stop rewarding environmental destruction and start supporting fishers who protect the sea and local jobs.
“We need to ditch the old rules that reward volume over value,” said Marta Cavalle from Low Impact Fishers of Europe. “Small-scale fishers bring in fresh, local seafood with minimal impact. They work close to shore using selective gear, yet the outdated quota system still favours industrial catch history,” she added.
Transparency is another sore spot – 83% of voters want clarity on quota distribution, while 85% say small fishers should have more say in decisions.
Oceana’s Javier Lopez says this is Spain’s chance to lead Europe in fixing a broken system.
