AM-CC Fuerteventura backs fishing sector in its protest against on‑board weighing

The political formation requests that the regulation be reviewed and adapted to the particularities of the Canary fleet, avoiding the imposition of “unfair and disproportionate” sanctions for the sector.

European Regulation on On‑Board Weighing

The new EU rule obliges fishers to weigh every catch on board with a very strict tolerance margin. When vessels arrive at port, any discrepancy between the weight estimated during the fishing operation and the weight later recorded on the dock scale can trigger heavy financial penalties for the crew.

Concerns Raised by the Fishing Community

The party points out that the current tolerance allowed by the EU regulation is 10 %, which they consider excessive. They argue that the rule penalises simple estimation differences rather than fraudulent or illegal fishing practices.

“It is excessively restrictive and is generating sanctions stemming from mere estimation errors, not from fraudulent or illegal fishing, but from eye‑ball calculations,” the party said.

In addition, fishers must comply with digital reporting requirements and a mandatory pre‑arrival notice to the port—measures that, according to AM‑CC, do not fit the daily reality of the Canary coastal fleet. The organization also reminds that the Canary Islands enjoy a specific status as an ultra‑peripheral region (RUP), and that this particularity should be taken into account when applying EU norms.

Call for Adaptation to Canary Specificities

AM‑CC Fuerteventura argues that the current approach shows a deep lack of understanding of the real conditions under which small‑scale Canary fishing operates. On small vessels, stopping the activity to classify and weigh each catch would jeopardise safety, work rhythm and productivity.

Impact on Small‑Scale Tuna Fishing

Artisanal tuna fishing follows a “one man, one hook, one catch” model that relies on speed and continuous operation. The sector therefore demands that, once in port, any weight discrepancies be allowed to be corrected without automatically triggering a sanction.

Statement from AM‑CC Fuerteventura

“Canary artisanal fishing needs a fair regulation that matches its reality and needs. It is one of the most sustainable fishing methods and has managed to stay away from industrial models. Therefore, it must be protected and supported, not harmed by laws that do not fit its way of working and that seriously undermine the sector.”

The party reiterates its support for the artisanal fishing sector and its rejection of a regulation they deem disconnected from maritime reality and detrimental to one of the most important traditional sectors in the Canary Islands.