SPAIN
Promising growth continues in the Canaries
Fishing in the Canaries is soaring The fishing industry is showing positive signs in the Canary Islands. There has been overall growth over the past few years in the volume and value of catches and in the nascent aquaculture industry.
T
he Canary Islands are located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, closer to the equator than to mainland Spain. With a total area of 7,493 km2, the archipelago consists of seven large and several smaller islands including Tenerife, Grand Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzartote, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. The Canaries are one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities and are considered among the most remote areas of the European Union. The Canary Islands have a population of 2,118,344 people, accounting for 4.5 of the population of Spain.
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Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2014
Significant overall growth over the past decade Fishing activities are a fundamental part of the identity of the Canary Islands; many Canarian municipalities are dependent on this sector. There are three main fishing activities on the Canary Islands: coastal artisanal fishing for small pelagic, demersal and tuna species; cephalopod fishing by a fleet of freezer trawlers and high seas tuna fishing. All the catches are landed at ports that act as first-sale markets. At present, there are 31 entities authorised as first-sale points for fresh fisheries
products, and 17 for frozen fisheries products. In recent years, Canarian fresh capture fisheries have increased from 7,600 tonnes, with a value of EUR 9.8 million, in 2006 to 15,000 tonnes, valued at EUR 19.3 million, in 2012. There has been a 97 increase in volume and a 78 increase in value. In the following year, however, the quantity decreased by 27 to 11,000 tonnes, and the value dropped 9, to EUR 17.6 million. Pelagic fish contributed 87 of the total volume and 72 of the total value, while for demersal species the figures were 11.5 and 25, for crustaceans 0.6 and 2.5, while mollusc catches and value were minor.
Different islands have different specialties Tenerife is the largest port, especially for pelagics and crustaceans and accounts for approximately half of the total fresh fish volume. Pelagics are the most important species in terms of both volume and value. They also represent the majority of landings in Lanzarote. The total catches of pelagic species amounted to 9,600 tonnes in 2013 worth EUR 12.6 million, 29 less in volume and 16 less in value than in 2012, when pelagic fish catches were 13,700 tonnes, worth EUR 15 million. The Islands La Palma and El Hierro have significant www.eurofishmagazine.com