Representatives of the fishermen's associations of the Marina Alta and researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences-CSIC and the University of Alicante shared information and experiences in a work day held last Saturday in Dénia hosted by the Office of Innovation and Creativity.
The meeting is a consequence of the conclusions of the D * na Forum, organized in November last year, in which there was already a public debate on the future of fishing in the Mediterranean and the protection of its resources.
Both the fisheries and scientific sectors agreed as a starting point that it is necessary to take measures to ensure the future of fisheries, species and marine ecosystems. In addition, the representation of the brotherhoods expressed concern about the application of recent European Union regulations that pose calendar restrictions, distribution of days, prolonged closures and objectives difficult to achieve.
The researcher Alfonso Ramos, director of the Center for Maritime Research at the University of Alicante, presented the results of the experiences of protection of hake and red mullet carried out in Santa Pola, Tabarca and other parts of the province, and offered to collaborate with the brotherhoods to start up new projects of protected areas in consensus with local fishermen, who, as he insisted, are those who know from experience the breeding and refuge areas of the species.
For their part, Joan B. Company and Antonio Lombarte, researchers from the ICM-CSIC and authors of reports and projects on Mediterranean fishing for the Spanish government, presented the protection experiences carried out to date and were in favor of submitting proposals Medium-term joint projects for the GSA6 management area, which covers the part of the Mediterranean coast from Cartagena to the north of Catalonia.
The researchers acknowledged that the measures taken so far by the European Union have only made partial progress and that the expected results have not always been obtained. In this sense, they shared and asked the opinion of the fishermen of the Navy on the projects and new scenarios on which they work, with the aim of proposing an efficient and common alternative to convince the European Union and at least cushion the negative effects that could arise of the new and controversial regulations.
The representatives of the brotherhoods presented their vision on the proposals of the scientists, showed their concern for the future of their activity and the strict regulations applied to them by the administration, and thanked the explanations that had been given to them and that they considered highly interest. They also offered to collaborate in possible studies and work on their respective fishing waters that favor decision-making and allow better management of resources.
On the part of the fishermen, José Ignacio Llorca (president of the Confederation of Fishermen's Guilds of the province of Alicante and Patron Mayor of Vila Joiosa), Juan Antonio Sepulcre (Patron Mayor of Dénia), Amadeu Ros (Xàbia) and Paco Catalá (Senior Employer of Calp) and Ismael Femenía (Calp).
The conference was moderated by the biologist Miguel Ángel Civera, advisor to the Office for Innovation and Creativity, in charge of projects related to UNESCO's Creative City of Gastronomy. The mayor of Dénia, Vicent Grimalt, greeted those present at the beginning of the work, wishing that this dialogue between two sectors, that of fisheries research and that of fishing practice, that mutually need each other, would be fruitful.
