Spanish Atlantic Fishermen call for Bottom Trawling Ban - Oceana USA
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March 14, 2006

Spanish Atlantic Fishermen call for Bottom Trawling Ban

This week the Federación Cofradias de Pescadores (or Brotherhood of Fishermen), the centuries old organization representing Atlantic based Spanish fishermen, supported Oceana and called on the Spanish government to ban bottom trawling in national (Spanish-controlled ocean up to 12 miles from the coast) Atlantic ocean waters.  Here is a photo of Xavier Pastor (Oceana’s VP of Europe) and Oceana board members Ted Danson and Dr. Daniel Pauly meeting with Federación representatives.

 

The letter from the brotherhood carries great weight with the Spanish government and is a big step forward in the campaign to ban destructive trawling off the Atlantic coast of Spain.  These fishermen are concerned about the impact that destructive trawling gear is having on the ocean floor and on the future viability of fish populations and – as a result – the likelihood that their sons and daughters can continue to make a living fishing.