The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Sonia Castañeda, today accompanied the Secretary General of Fisheries, Carlos Domínguez, during the seminar “The commitment of the Spanish fishing sector to sustainable development”, of the SOSpesca project, organized by the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (Cepesca) in Madrid, within the framework of the Empleaverde Program of the Biodiversity Foundation and the European Social Fund.

This meeting was inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, who stressed that “the fisheries policy of this Government is not at odds with a healthy policy of preservation of the marine environment and promotion of the values defended both by environmental organizations and by the fishing sector itself”.

The minister expressed the need to combine the preservation of the marine environment with the defence of legitimate fishing, which has been adapting to sustainability criteria for decades, in accordance with the recommendations of the 1992 Rio Conference.

During the inauguration, the minister pointed out as an achievement of this Legislature having integrated the criteria of biological, economic and social sustainability of fishing and highlighted Spain’s efforts on issues such as maximum sustainable yield, the balance between resources and the fleet, and the protection of the marine environment.

During the meeting, the need for fisheries resources management to guarantee sustainable exploitation, the selectivity of fishing gear and proposals for the reduction of discards and compliance with the EU Directive were addressed, as well as other aspects related to respect for the marine environment such as waste management on board, energy efficiency as a support for the sustainability of companies and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The seminar concluded with the presentation of specific examples of the sector’s commitment to sustainable fishing by representatives of the administration, companies, environmental associations and producer organizations, among others.