The Spanish Government has approved updated regulations for bluefin tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean to manage a significant quota increase.
The Council of Ministers confirmed on April 28 that the national fleet will receive an annual allowance of 7,938.81 tonnes until 2028.
This figure represents an increase of 1,155 tonnes compared to 2025 levels following agreements reached at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas meeting. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food proposed these modifications to ensure the sector can utilise the high economic value of the species.
Under the new framework, the government is extending allocations to 5,406 vessels to support the local economies of regions such as Algeciras, Barbate, and Conil. This group of new participants will receive slightly more than three per cent of the total national quota as part of an incidental fishing allocation.
Authorisation for the Mediterranean small-scale fishing fleet has expanded from 305 to 409 vessels to ensure that every vessel maintains its initial 2019 allocation. The regulation also establishes a specific register to oversee farms authorised for the breeding of bluefin tuna.
Management features from the Sustainable Fisheries and Fisheries Research Law of 2023 have been incorporated, including mechanisms for interannual flexibility and quota optimisation.
The Spanish Government stated the aims of the modification are, "to adapt the regulations to the opportunities offered by this species," while addressing the needs of various fleets.
Existing lists will account for 96.9535 per cent of the total shares distributed under the revised Royal Decree 46/2019 of February 8, 2019.
Live bait vessels from the Cantabrian Sea constitute the largest portion of this distribution, receiving approximately 6,521 tonnes of the total volume.
