Spanish Fishermen Protest Influx of Moroccan Fish, Citing Regulatory Concerns

The fishing professionals in Murcia cry out against unfair competition from Morocco, which is flooding the community markets with fish that would not comply with European regulations. Bartolomé Navarro, the president of the Murcian Federation of Fishing Associations, cites the example of grouper, whose minimum size, according to European standards, is 45 centimeters. But Morocco exports ones "of 20 or 25 centimeters," he laments to La Opinion de Murcia. As for whiting, it must measure 20 centimeters, "but whiting of 13 to 10 centimeters arrive here," he continues.

The same goes for other species such as monkfish, anglerfish, rockfish and snapper imported from Morocco, whose sizes do not comply with the regulations in force in Spain, Navarro said, also emphasizing the lack of control of fish from Morocco. Inspectors "do not control because they are not concerned with the common fisheries policy. Yet they should check everything and if they find that the product is not compliant, they should ban it," the president of the Murcian federation of fishing associations said.

For him, the only solution to this problem is to revise the legislation: "We must change the legislation and ban, for example, the sale of a whiting of less than 20 centimeters, regardless of the country of origin of the producer." Navarro also warns about the health risk posed by the import of these products in the Murcia region, noting that the fish arriving from Morocco is eviscerated and "can reach the market after five or six days; it’s madness."

The official also denounces the fact that Moroccan fishermen are penetrating Spanish waters. "They arrive on our coast; it’s something we’ve seen many times and that is allowed," complains Navarro, who calls on the government to defend Spanish waters and fishing areas. Meanwhile, Spanish farmers are also complaining about Moroccan competition. According to data published this week, imports of fruits and vegetables from Morocco increased by more than 30% in October 2024 compared to the same month the previous year.