that.Fuerteventura rallies to defend Canarian artisanal fishing

.# Fuerteventura Joins the Defense of Canary Artisanal Fishing

The Cabildo asks the Ministry to intervene before the European Commission over a regulation that threatens the sector’s survival.

The plenary session of the Fuerteventura Cabildo has approved an institutional declaration defending Canary artisanal fishing in response to the new European Union Fisheries Control Regulation. According to the major fishing guilds of the archipelago, the regulation endangers the survival of coastal artisanal fisheries, which sustain many families on the islands.

“The island institution gives its unequivocal support to the primary sector and to our artisanal fishing professionals,” said Lola García, president of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura. “Once again, the supra‑island administrations demonstrate a total lack of understanding of the reality of our traditional, proximity‑based fishing sector. Therefore, from the island institution we express our full backing of the sector’s demands and ask that the Ministry take them to Europe.”

The Regional Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds, together with provincial federations, has warned that Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 poses serious difficulties for the Canary artisanal fleet. Among the most controversial measures are:

• A mandatory four‑hour pre‑arrival notice for vessels 12 metres or longer, even when they land a few minutes from the coast.
• The requirement to declare all catches from “zero kilogram”, a technical capability that artisanal boats simply do not possess.

These demands create legal uncertainty, risk disproportionate sanctions, and could even affect maritime safety. Consequently, the viability of artisanal fishing, coastal employment, and the social‑economic balance of Fuerteventura are under threat.

For these reasons, the Fuerteventura Cabildo reiterates its support for Canary artisanal fishing—particularly the island’s inshore fleet—and urges the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to intervene before the European Commission. The goal is to ensure that the flexibilities granted to Outermost Regions are effectively applied, adapting the regulation to the specificities of the Canary and Fuerteventura artisanal fleets.

The Cabildo also calls for the effective application of the principle of proportionality and the status of an Outermost Region throughout all fisheries control legislation affecting the Canary Islands. It seeks exemptions or adaptations for the Canary inshore fleet from the most harmful aspects of the regulation.

Following its approval, the agreement will be forwarded to the Government of Spain, the European Commission, and the Canary fishermen’s guilds.