Overview
- After protests and a one-day amarre on January 19, the fisheries ministry accepted sector demands to relax how Spain applies the new EU control regulation.
- The deal sets a practical 50‑kilogram threshold for onboard catch estimates provided landing declarations are accurate, replaces per‑operation logging with at least once‑a‑day reporting, and drops the fixed four‑hour port pre‑notice.
- Spain began urgent steps to publish the changes in the national bulletin and scheduled follow-up talks with industry to review implementation.
- Madrid opened talks with the European Commission, including DG MARE’s Charlina Vitcheva, and plans to raise the issue at the January 26 Agrifish Council to secure EU‑level flexibilities and adjust infringement thresholds under Annex IV.
- Sector leaders said they would lift the stoppage and return to sea, arguing the original rules—effective since January 10 for vessels 12 meters and over—were unworkable for small crews required to weigh and report from the first kilo.