The Control and Enforcement of Fisheries in Spain

The report evaluates Spain's fisheries enforcement framework, finding that while the country has become an EU leader in combating IUU fishing through high-profile operations like 'Sparrow', significant gaps remain in the application of the penalty point system, engine power verification, and traceability controls. It highlights a general lack of transparency in implementation data and recommends legislative amendments to allow criminal prosecution of IUU fishing in international waters.

• Spain has demonstrated strong commitment to combating IUU fishing, particularly through 'Operation Sparrow', which resulted in record-breaking administrative fines. Operation Sparrow 1 issued fines of 16,750,000 EUR against nine companies and seven individuals, while Operation Sparrow 2 imposed 5,270,002 EUR on six companies and six individuals.
• The Spanish penalty point system for serious infringements is inconsistently and cautiously applied, which undermines its deterrent effect. Between 2013 and 2015, the system was applied in only 49 cases, and reports indicate that as of 2015, no fishing licenses had been permanently withdrawn under this system.
• There are significant deficiencies in the control and verification of fishing vessel engine power. The European Court of Auditors noted discrepancies between actual engine power and certified power, and the report finds that Spain previously allowed vessels exceeding certified power to operate until July 31, 2015.
• Inspections at sea are underutilized despite being more effective at detecting infringements. Between 2013 and 2016, sea inspections represented only about 19.7% of total controls; in 2016, the infringement rate at sea was 18.2%, compared to 10.7% on land and 1.8% by air.
• Traceability controls in Andalusia show high infringement rates among certain operators, particularly in dispatch centres, where 256 infringements were detected in 2016/2017. Common breaches include lack of adequate traceability systems, non-compliance with labelling requirements, and use of unauthorized weighing systems.
• Spain suffers from a lack of transparency and public access to fisheries implementation data. Both the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia and Galicia provided only 'partial access' to information requests, and data on administrative sanctions is generally not publicly available.
• A legal loophole exists regarding the criminal prosecution of IUU fishing in international waters, as demonstrated by the Vidal Armadores case. The Spanish Supreme Court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction because the vessels were not under the Spanish flag and the acts occurred in international waters, meaning such activities are currently only subject to administrative sanctions.

APA

ClientEarth (2017). The Control and Enforcement of Fisheries in Spain. https://www.clientearth.org/media/vipafv4h/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-spain-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. The Control and Enforcement of Fisheries in Spain. 2017. https://www.clientearth.org/media/vipafv4h/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-spain-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=The Control and Enforcement of Fisheries in Spain |date=July 2017 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/vipafv4h/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-spain-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2017control, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{The Control and Enforcement of Fisheries in Spain}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/vipafv4h/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-spain-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }