Through the General Secretariat of Fisheries (GSP), in 2019, different research campaigns have been carried out on board their oceanographic vessels. Actions that will continue in 2020.
Last year the oceanographic vessels "Viscount of Eza", "Miguel Oliver" and "Emma Bardán" have carried out a total of 18 fishing research campaigns during 435 days of navigation, both nationally and internationally.
Research activities in fisheries
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodThe actions developed by oceanographic fishing research vessels are governed by the objectives of the "National Basic Data Program" (PNDB) of the fisheries sector included in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that facilitates decision-making, based on scientific knowledge, for sustainable management of fishery resources.
Likewise, in close collaboration with fisheries research institutes, especially with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), teams of multidisciplinary scientists carry out research campaigns, co-financed between the Government of Spain and the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (FEMP).
The "Viscount Eza" has developed campaigns to estimate abundance of international fisheries resources in the Atlantic, in the Porcupine area, near the west coast of Ireland, and in international waters managed by the ORP "Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization"(NAFO). Both fishing grounds are of great importance for the Spanish fishing fleet.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodWith the aim of resuming its research collaboration action in the international framework, the Government of Spain, together with that of Guinea Bissau, have carried out a fishing research campaign in the economic exclusion zone (EEZ) of the African country to evaluate, with the ship "Viscount of Eza", demersal fishing resources in its waters.
The oceanographic vessels "Miguel Oliver" and "Emma Bardán" have carried out campaigns to estimate abundance of species of fishing interest both pelagic and demersal in the Spanish fishing grounds. In more than 230 research days, resources have been evaluated in both the Cantabrian and the Gulf of Cádiz and the Mediterranean.
The "Miguel Oliver" has also carried out specific campaigns to study strategies to reduce discards and unwanted species to improve selectivity in commercial fishing.
It has also continued with the mapping activities of the seabed for further processing and that allow to make public the data of marine geospatial information in the "Geoportal" of the MAP.
Fishing Training Actions
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodOn November 30 the activities of the "Form to Advance" campaign of the Fishing Cooperation School Ship (BECP) "Intermares", which has taken the ship to the ports of Cádiz, Nador (Morocco) and Vigo.
In 2019, the objective of offering on-site training aimed at the maritime-fisheries sector and related activities was fulfilled. The training has reached more than 2,000 national and international students. International organizations and institutions such as the international program have participated in these actions GEOTRACES or the cooperation project in the Mediterranean (COPEMED), Spanish universities such as the University of Cádiz or the University of Vigo, as well as vocational training institutes. In Nador, in collaboration with the Foundation "Women for Africa", an ambitious training program on women-centered fisheries was carried out.
Actions of different types have been carried out, from purely fisheries, such as training in fishing gear and handling, conservation and transformation of their products, through hygiene control in the laboratory, such as machine training, safety on board. Even, different works of scientific scope.
