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The Spanish government has made €30 million available to support the fishing sector. Photo: Cepesca
The Spanish government has made €30 million available to support the fishing sector along with another €20 million going to support the aquaculture.
The Official State Gazette has today published the order calling for aid for a total amount of €49.5 million to compensate boat owners and aquaculture companies for the additional costs they have had to face in their operations. production processes as a result of the situation resulting from the war in Ukraine.
This aid is part of the package of urgent measures included in Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, of March 29 (articles 34 and 35), within the framework of the national response plan to the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine. The order published today in the BOE contains the specification and modification of certain requirements and conditions related to the procedure for granting the aid that have been specified, as well as the call for aid itself for the year 2022. It also includes the signing of an agreement of collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and 29 collaborating entities.
These aids have the nature of compensation to the owners of fishing vessels and aquaculture companies, for additional costs, in accordance with article 26 of the Regulation of the European Maritime Fund for Fisheries and Aquaculture (FEMPA), given the concurrence of exceptional events that generate a significant market disturbance. The aids have 70% financing from said European fund, and 30% from the Spanish State.
The aid will be granted under a direct concession regime and its beneficiaries may be the owners of maritime fishing vessels with a valid license, and the owners of auxiliary vessels associated with the authorised tuna traps that are registered in the corresponding lists of the General Registry of Fishing fleet. Aquaculture companies registered in the General Register of Livestock Farms may also benefit from the aid. All of them must meet the requirements during the entire reference period between February 24 and June 30, 2022.
The allocation of aid is distributed in a maximum amount of up to €29,702,970.30 for fishing vessel owners and up to €19,801,980.20 for aquaculture. Likewise, a total of €495,049.5 has been made available to compensate the collaborating entities for their work in the management and payment of the aid.
