Brussels, 03/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission would be in favour of excluding the xeito, a traditional fishing technique used in Galicia, from the EU level ban on drift gillnets, according to the president of the Autonomous Community of Galicia, Alberto Nunez Feijoo. He made these declarations after a meeting on Monday 2 February, with the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Karmenu Vella.
The use of the xeito is overseen by a law within the exclusive remit of the Galician fishing management authorities (this region enjoys its own remit on regulating small scale fishing). It involves a small driftnet whose use does not lead to incidental catches of protected species. In Galicia, 400 vessels use this fishing technique.
According to Alberto Nunez Feijoo, quoted in the Spanish press, the xeito “will remain legal, in agreement with Galician legislation and acceptable from a point of view of European legislation”. Scientific studies and techniques examining this fishing technique have been sent to the European Commission from Galicia since last June and appear to have had a convincing effect on the Commission.
Commissioner Vella recently suggested that he would agree to amend the proposal on the ban of drift gillnets. He did want, however, the European Commission, to adopt its position before any possible change to the proposal on the table was introduced and which has been criticised by the EP fishing committee and many EU countries (see EUROPE 11236). (LC)