–The management’s turn comes after 33 years in the “house” and perhaps in one of the most difficult times for fishing, with COVID, Brexit …
– Yes, it is true, these are moments more complicated than others. Although really in 33 years we have not had a day in which you say that you have been bored or you have plenty of time. It is intense, but it is interesting.
–He said after his appointment that he wants a “more active and dynamic” cooperative. How?
–It is important to have an entity with great social interaction, with the sector, with other entities and administrations, with science and with society as a whole. Being deputy manager with Hugo during these last years, you always make a little mark on what is the address of the house. Conveying what fishing is, what fishermen do and how little the fish costs for what it costs to bring it or how healthy it is … is a task that we have to complete.
–How is ARVI’s economic health?
–The truth is that it is good, and I think that every day it will be better. It is not being a triumphalist, because the exercises in economic matters must be realistic. An organization must apply principles of prudence, respect for the accounts and think that what we have there is a patrimony of our shipowners that we have to manage well. Of course, also look for new resources and more partners, because there are niches in which you can advance.
–The lack of generational change and the renewal of the fleet, are they the two great challenges to be solved?
–The renewal is closely related to the generational change and vice versa. At times I have been presented with shipowners who say that they are not going to renew their boats because they have no guarantees that in 7 or 10 years they will have controls to carry them. It is quite sad that this is the case, because the renovation has a very significant impact on the shipyards, giving much needed work. On the generational change there is also the problem that the boats need to be better and more habitable, with those GTs [gross tonnage, arqueo bruto] social demands that we demand so much. We don’t want to fish more, we want more comfortable and habitable boats.
–How will the new Sustainable Fishing Law help or harm to face these challenges?
–The first thing you must do is legally guarantee the investments of the fleet. It is important in order to exploit a ship, because long periods are needed to amortize them. There must be a consensus work between the sector and the administrations.
–Pesca ensures that the law will provide that legal certainty. Why did you bother and why do you hesitate so much?
–We are going to consider the previous processing process forgotten and we are going to focus on the future. We are positive that we are going to work hand in hand with the Ministry to make the law effective. If a law is outside of what is the environment it wants to regulate, it will become little applicable. What is wanted is for it to be a tailored suit and we hope that is the case.
-Covid, Brexit, Fisheries Law … would the finishing touch be the WTO subsidies agreement that threatens the subsidized diesel?
-Yes. It is worrying us. It is a debate that has been going on for many years and was still stuck, but it seems that now there is a certain commitment to move something forward. We are concerned about the issue they call the subsidy for fishing fuel and some proposals from the European Commission that could affect part of the fleet. Because, in addition, it would always end up affecting all fleets in a certain period of time. The exemption must be maintained.
– With everything that is happening with Norway or the difficult negotiations with the United Kingdom. Does the international scene worry?
– What has to do with regulations of the regional fisheries organizations, well, but the issue of Norway is very worrying. Norway’s capricious child position, which it has been adopting for some time, is more blatant in the face of the EU, which should punch the table and say that they have come this far. Let the consumer know that if they buy Norwegian salmon in the supermarket, it is promoted that the fishing of mackerel becomes unsustainable or that fishing rights are taken away from our cod fish. Right now decisions are being made that may be very important for the future.
“The third SeaFest was going to be the best; it hurt us “
–Two years that cannot be celebrated, how do you assess the implementation of SeaFest in the city?
–The festival was an excellent idea by José Ramón Fuertes and it started in a very interesting way, consolidating itself with two editions. Everyone wanted the third one to come, which was going to be the best and in which we were going to surprise, and it hurt us a lot that it couldn’t be done. The city and the surroundings have welcomed it as an appointment already marked in the calendar and of course it is in the spirit of the governing council to maintain the event next year and the following.
–Before there will be new elections for president. Will there be more than one candidate again?
– It is a democratic process and any format will be healthy. Any organization can be satisfied with having an election in which there are one or more candidates. We will work to ensure that they are held properly.
– Is ARVI’s scientific production going to be boosted again?
–In these last two years we have had enough of the ARVI Technical Scientific Advisory Committee (CACT) abandoned, but it has been impossible to dedicate ourselves to everything at once. Personally, I have to apologize to all the members, but it is something that is a priority and essential for us. In addition, all the figures integrated in it are people that we must never stop having in our ideology, because they contribute a lot.
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