AM-CC joins fishing sector protests

The regulation includes a four‑hour notice before docking at the port or weighing catches on deck.

The Majorero Assembly – Canarian Coalition Fuerteventura has voiced its support for the Canary Islands fishing sector and has joined its protests against the new control obligations arising from European Union Regulation 2023/2842.

“Decisions made without regard to the reality of work at sea jeopardize small‑scale fishing and the viability of the Canarian fleet,” the party says.

The regulation introduces requirements such as a four‑hour advance notice of arrival at port for vessels, a demand that especially affects boats that fish only a few minutes from the coast and operate on tides shorter than 24 hours.

Applying this rule could have negative consequences for the fishing activity, potentially leading to a halt in operations, deterioration of fresh‑fish quality, and consequently a devaluation of the product’s price at the market.

AM‑CC also warns of the severe impact this measure will have on the inshore and coastal fleet. The party points out that the majority of the Canarian fleet is dedicated to this type of fishing, so the damage will be particularly significant.

“The new regulation directly targets the Canarian fishing fleet, which is characterized by traditional, near‑shore fishing, constituting an attack on the viability of a sector already facing major difficulties,” the political formation states.

Moreover, the new rule contravenes basic principles of maritime safety by forcing vessels to remain at sea and preventing them from seeking shelter in port, while also infringing on the professional judgment of captains—something expressly prohibited by maritime law.

Finally, the European regulation imposes additional measures that affect the normal conduct of fishing activities, such as the requirement to weigh catches on the vessel’s deck, known as the “Kilogram 0” measure. For the nationalist party, this “clearly shows a total lack of understanding of how work is carried out at sea, adding unnecessary difficulties to the sector.”

For all these reasons, the Majorero Assembly – Canarian Coalition Fuerteventura calls on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as well as the European Commission, to act immediately against these measures and prevent them from taking effect.