The duration of fishing allowed in the Mediterranean for 2026 is once again presented as the big obstacle to the conclusion of the annual agreement by which member states share fishing quotas in the EU. The European Commission has proposed a very considerable reduction this year compared to 12 months ago. The proposal then was 27 days per year for each boat, which could be increased to 100 days if measures were implemented to maintain the future viability of fishing areas. This year, that initial proposal fell to 9.7 days and the proposed compensations are more complicated. “This comes from another planet,” Spanish Fisheries Minister Luis Planas lamented on Thursday upon his arrival at the EU Council to begin traditional negotiations which usually last two days and end late at night.
Negotiation sources hope that this liturgy will be shortened this year. But from what’s emerging, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The changes made to the initial proposal introduced by the Commission to reach an agreement still do not convince the three countries involved in the Western Mediterranean agreement: Spain, France and Italy. This trio is seeking a common position to strengthen its position and convince the European executive to accept further changes.
Spain criticizes the Commission for not having taken into account in its approaches the previous sacrifices and the measures already adopted and that this has contributed to the fishing zones being in a better situation than in the past, Planas said on Thursday. An example given by the government is that this year Spanish fishermen in the Mediterranean changed the nets of 600 boats in just three months to make fishing more sustainable and this was not taken into account by the European Commission nor is it seen in the situation of the fishing zones.
Although the situation in the Western Mediterranean is the most complicated, it is not the only one where there is still no agreement. In the Atlantic there are also unknowns that prevent the closure of this front. However, the positions are much closer. Planas himself spoke of a “positive general outlook”, although his intention was to demand an increase in quotas.
According to the proposal that the Commission put on the table, for the Atlantic, where it is negotiated in volume of catches and not in days of fishing, the approach was a reduction for sole and haddock, and maintaining the volume for hake. In the case of bluefin tuna, we are talking about an increase of 17%.
The mackerel situation is more complicated. In this case, the negotiation involves not only the EU countries, but also the “coastal countries”, namely Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands (autonomous territory of Denmark). A complementary agreement must be concluded with these territories (they are not part of the community bloc). The Commission’s proposal foresees a significant reduction in catches for the species to recover, around 70%. But as the sources of the negotiations explain, there is no point in agreeing on this reduction between Member States if other partners outside the EU do not apply this measure.
Given the possibility that this last part of the pact was not completed at this meeting, Brussels is considering imposing a provisional quota for the European sector until an agreement is reached with the other countries.
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