The Office and shellfish farmers agree to reopen the Cádiz coquina fishing zone

The coquina fishing area in the Gulf of Cádiz for shellfish fishing on foot will open from December 17as announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía.

The opening, after closing … In November, it will affect all shellfish fishing areas on foot, except Punta Umbria and the mouth of the river stoneswhich will remain closed if performance is still recorded below established thresholds.

“This decision was agreed within the working table that the Ministry maintains permanently with the sector, after analysis of scientific monitoring data and the current situation of the resource, and represents good news for shellfish farmers as the Christmas campaign approaches“, a key period for the commercialization of this product”, said the Director General of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Blue Economy, Carlos Aldereguía.

In this sense, Aldereguía explained that scientific monitoring of the species will be maintainedwith more sampling and controls, to ensure that extractive activity does not compromise the sustainability of the resource.

Fight against poaching

Likewise, the ministry reiterated its “firm commitment” to the fight against poaching and against the capture of specimens below the minimum size with more vigilance, a particularly relevant aspect in the current context, since scientific reports have confirmed “excellent” recruitment of the species.

The partial reopening of the fishing zone comes after the total closure of the shellfish harvest on November 10, adopted as a protective measure in the face of the lack of resources detected during a large part of the year, and with the objective of safeguarding both the breeding stock like the numerous juvenile specimens present.