Andalucian government offers aid to the fishing sector affected by invasive algae

Andalucian fishing fleet affected by invasive algae to be offered aid by the government.

As announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development, from this Thursday, June 23, it will open a period of 15 business days to request aid for the fishing sector.

On the one hand, it offers aid for the fishing sector affected by the proliferation of the invasive algae ‘Rugulopterix okamurae‘; and on the other, to shellfishing professionals who have suffered damages due to the closure of production areas as a result of the presence of toxins.

The budget for this call, as published by the Official Bulletin of the Andalusian Government (BOJA) – which is financed with the Andalucian Government’s own funds – is close to €955,000.

Carmen Crespo, the acting counsellor, underlined that: “since the appearance and proliferation of the alga ‘Rugulopterix okamurae’ in the Andalucian fishing grounds and counting these new subsidies, the Government of Juanma Moreno has already put on the table two calls for aid endowed with regional funds to support fishing and shellfishing professionals who, unfortunately, have seen their productivity reduced for reasons totally beyond their control”.

In 2021, the Ministry of Fisheries made subsidies available to the Andalucian fishing sector for €1.5 million, from which 326 vessels benefited. “Therefore, adding this allocation from last year to the new aid for 2022, the total amount that the Andalucian Government has mobilised to support those affected by the invasive algae is around €2.5 million” Crespo highlighted.

“This proactive attitude of the Andalucian Executive contrasts with the inaction of the State”, lamented Ms Crespo, who explained that the fishermen “are still waiting for the mandatory action plan that the central government must present after including the ‘Rugulopterix okamurae’ in the catalogue of invasive species.

The specific objective of this aid is to compensate for the loss of income suffered between January 1 and December 31, 2021, by the Andalucian fishing boats that fish in fishing grounds with a large presence of invasive algae and the shellfish fleets of Malaga and Cadiz. These are the production zones that were closed from October 15, 2021, to February 25, 2022.

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