The control of the Landing Obligation in Spain

The report examines Spain's compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy's landing obligation, which requires fishers to retain and record all catches of species subject to catch limits. While Spain has introduced guidelines and selectivity studies, the report finds a critical lack of effective monitoring and enforcement. Evidence suggests that reported data for 2017 and 2018—showing almost no infringements and very low discards—is likely inaccurate due to industry resistance and insufficient control mechanisms. The document recommends increasing the use of remote electronic monitoring, improving port infrastructure, and enhancing data transparency to ensure the sustainability of fishing quotas.

• Spain's reported data for 2017 and 2018 suggests an unrealistic level of compliance, with almost no recorded infringements and unexpectedly low levels of undersized fish landings and exempt discards.
• The fishing industry's resistance and denial regarding the landing obligation are identified as significant barriers to accurate reporting and successful implementation in Spain.
• Spanish authorities have taken steps to improve gear selectivity and have expressed commitment to using advanced monitoring tools like drones and CCTV, though progress in 2019 is not documented.
• There is a critical lack of transparency and quantitative data regarding the control of the landing obligation, including a failure by Spanish authorities to respond to environmental information requests under the Aarhus Convention.
• The report warns that the lack of recorded discards under exemptions may indicate that these mechanisms are being misused to legally increase catches beyond sustainable levels.
• The obligation to land fish below the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) creates a risk of deliberate over-catching for use in fattening farms, as these catches cannot be used for direct human consumption.

APA

ClientEarth (2019). The control of the Landing Obligation in Spain. https://www.clientearth.org/media/tpvaaqah/the-control-of-the-landing-obligation-in-spain-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. The control of the Landing Obligation in Spain. 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/tpvaaqah/the-control-of-the-landing-obligation-in-spain-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=The control of the Landing Obligation in Spain |date=October 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/tpvaaqah/the-control-of-the-landing-obligation-in-spain-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2019control, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{The control of the Landing Obligation in Spain}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/tpvaaqah/the-control-of-the-landing-obligation-in-spain-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }