September 12, 2014 — The head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA), Isabel García Tejerina, has ensured the new Sea Fisheries Act establishes a "legal international framework to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing".
At the Congress of Deputies, the minister defended the new bill, which "reinforces the new direction taken by this Administration to the fisheries policy" and "will help support and promote growth, development and employment of our fishing industry."
Garcia Tejerina stressed that the change in direction that this Administration has given to the fisheries policy has allowed Spain to "recover a leadership position in community and international negotiations."
Thanks to that action "great achievements for the sector were made, both in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and in the settlement of the fisheries protocol with Morocco or in the significant quota gains in key species to Spain," she pointed out.
Besides, she stressed the need to support the best scientific information available and strictly enforce international, Community and national rules on the conservation and protection of fishery resources.