SPANISH Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Rodrigo Sánchez Haro, has praised the fisheries sector of Garrucha for its “drive and capacity to generate wealth and sustainability.”
The municipality boasts 172 jobs in the sector and moves more than 421 tonnes of fish and seafood a year. The district makes up 42.9 percent of the Andalusian red shrimp production with 29 vessels.
Haro applauded the volume of catches in the first half of 2017 compared to 2016. The Minister addressed fishing representatives of Garrucha, saying that the Andalucian Plan for Fisheries Management for the Mediterranean will make recommendations for self-regulation in search of sustainability from the EU. The proposal would tackle the limitation on bottom trawling and call for an increase to 210 days a year.
Andalucia has 1,533 fishing boats, and 6,500 sailors work in January and May 2017. In January to April 2017, fish exports amounted to 85.8 million euros, a 19 percent increase on last year. In the first four months of the year, Cadiz, Huelva, Málaga and Almería have nearly doubled their export numbers.
Haro stressed that the Andalucian government is committed to supported workers in the industry to continue their success.
