Galicia
They are waiting for a decision from the European Commission and meanwhile a report on the subject from Glasgow University has added a further complication.
Sep 3, 2015 - 1:18 PM
Fishermen in Galicia are concerned their tradition to use bottom trawling or ‘dragging’ is under threat.
They are waiting for a decision from the European Commission and meanwhile a report on the subject from Glasgow University has added a further complication.
Sep 3, 2015 - 1:18 PM
The report drawn up by British investigators not only comes out calling for a banning of this tradition art, but it put a limit on dragging below 600 metres claiming in the long term it would be more profitable.
The Glasgow team, lead by Jo Clarke, has arrived at the depth by analysing statistical data on composition of fish captures and the resulting economic income; they have confirmed the extensive stock of biodiversity at that depth, and the amount of fish which is discarded in commercial fishing and mention threatened species such as the shark and ray whose population increases significantly between the depths of 600 and 800 metres, and they consider the commercial value of the products landed.
The scientists used data on fishing in distinct areas of the NE Atlantic, such as the Hebrides Islands, the Porcupine Bank, Hatton Bank or the west of Scotland, taken at depths between 240 and 1,500 metres taken from fishermen who kept different types of data between 1978 and 2013.
And to analyse the economic benefit they studied data from Eurostat from four partners who search in these fisheries banks, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Spain.
They conclude below 600 metres, the economic benefit obtained by the fishing doesn’t compensate for the impact on ecology and damage to the ecosystem.
The study called ‘More Diversity’ has been published in the magazine Current Biology, and it underlines the biodiversity increases at depths between 400 and 1 metre. The report notes for every 100 metres of greater depth 18 additional species appear.
From there they sustain ‘although a recent study realised in the NE Atlantic suggest biodiversity in deep waters has not been affected, there had been important declines in abundance of commercially fished species, close in some cases to extinction’.
Also between 600 and 800 metres the proportion between waste and commercial biomass increases, and the waste doubles at 1,300 metres depth. They advise fishing restricted between 400 and 700 metres.
How will this affect the fishermen of Galicia? Newspaper ‘The Voice of Galicia’ describes the report as interference and says it will anger the Galician fleet. Above all now as bottom trawling is under investigation by the European Commission which has collected criticisms of the use of this art, which according to the fishermen, is already more regulated and controlled.
The study won’t go unnoticed; author Jo Clarke in declarations made on the online site Fis.com affirmed ‘I am sure my team’s work will attract the attention of important people, and a very critical moment’. In his opinion, this is the first time a strong scientific base had defended the prohibition of dragging below 600m.
A dragging boat in Galicia - Photo Ana Garcia - www.lavozdegalicia.es
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The Glasgow team, lead by Jo Clarke, has arrived at the depth by analysing statistical data on composition of fish captures and the resulting economic income; they have confirmed the extensive stock of biodiversity at that depth, and the amount of fish which is discarded in commercial fishing and mention threatened species such as the shark and ray whose population increases significantly between the depths of 600 and 800 metres, and they consider the commercial value of the products landed.
The scientists used data on fishing in distinct areas of the NE Atlantic, such as the Hebrides Islands, the Porcupine Bank, Hatton Bank or the west of Scotland, taken at depths between 240 and 1,500 metres taken from fishermen who kept different types of data between 1978 and 2013.
And to analyse the economic benefit they studied data from Eurostat from four partners who search in these fisheries banks, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Spain.
They conclude below 600 metres, the economic benefit obtained by the fishing doesn’t compensate for the impact on ecology and damage to the ecosystem.
The study called ‘More Diversity’ has been published in the magazine Current Biology, and it underlines the biodiversity increases at depths between 400 and 1 metre. The report notes for every 100 metres of greater depth 18 additional species appear.
From there they sustain ‘although a recent study realised in the NE Atlantic suggest biodiversity in deep waters has not been affected, there had been important declines in abundance of commercially fished species, close in some cases to extinction’.
Also between 600 and 800 metres the proportion between waste and commercial biomass increases, and the waste doubles at 1,300 metres depth. They advise fishing restricted between 400 and 700 metres.
How will this affect the fishermen of Galicia? Newspaper ‘The Voice of Galicia’ describes the report as interference and says it will anger the Galician fleet. Above all now as bottom trawling is under investigation by the European Commission which has collected criticisms of the use of this art, which according to the fishermen, is already more regulated and controlled.
The study won’t go unnoticed; author Jo Clarke in declarations made on the online site Fis.com affirmed ‘I am sure my team’s work will attract the attention of important people, and a very critical moment’. In his opinion, this is the first time a strong scientific base had defended the prohibition of dragging below 600m.
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