Spain maintains 143 days of trawl fishing in the Mediterranean despite Brussels' proposed cuts
Spain has managed to preserve 143 annual fishing days for its trawl fleet in the Mediterranean in 2026, affecting Dénia, Xàbia and Calp, after rejecting a European Commission proposal that would have reduced them by 65%.
The European Commission proposed cutting fishing days for the Mediterranean trawl fleet by 65%, which would have left vessels with barely 9.7 fishing days per year, according to Ruta Pesquera. Finally, following the agreement reached at the European Union Council in December 2025, Spain maintained the 143 annual days in force throughout 2026, according to the same source.
Distribution of days by the Ministry
The General Secretariat for Fisheries, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, allocated 90% of those days per vessel or group of vessels, distinguishing between coastal and deep-water fishing, according to the distribution published on 23 January 2026 and amended on 16 February. In addition, a maximum of 30 subsidisable days per vessel was set as a measure to reduce fishing effort.
Additional days for otter boards
In exchange for maintaining the 143 days, Spain must continue applying measures that reduce impact on the seabed, such as the use of otter boards and specific mesh sizes, according to Ruta Pesquera. The General Secretariat for Fisheries announced on 17 June 2026 an allocation of additional days for vessels using this type of gear, and resolved the call on 29 July 2026: a total of 2,454 additional days, 3% of the total, distributed among 301 vessels.
Background in Marina Alta
According to Ruta Pesquera, the initially planned cut for 2025 triggered protests from the sector, including a demonstration in Dénia. The same source reports that, prior to the European agreement in December 2025, the vice-president of the Pòsit de Xàbia, Amadeu Ros, argued that catches were increasing and that the Ministry had data to support this.
Still to be verified are how many trawlers based in Marina Alta have been affected by this distribution, the specific days allocated per port, and the current assessment by the fishermen's associations in Dénia, Xàbia and Calp of the final outcome of the agreement.