Spain’s fisheries secretary general Alberto Löpez-Asenjo and Turkey’s undersecretary of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Nusret Yazici, met in Ankara to analize the situation in the fishing sector in both countries.
During the meeting, both officials stressed the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation so that regional fisheries organizations can design medium- and long-term strategies that take into account the economic sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, which must meet the food needs of the world’s growing population.
In this sense, López-Asenjo indicated that the consumption of fishery products in Spain represents about a quarter of the total consumption of the European Union (EU).
He also explained to the Turkish Undersecretary about the leadership position Spain has in the EU fisheries sector in terms of catches, fishery and aquaculture production and the number of people employed.
In addition, Lopez-Asenjo emphasized the strength of Spain in the field of research, mainly through the three fisheries and oceanographic research vessels owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment. As he has detailed, these vessels are specialized in the search of fishing grounds, the assessment of the fishing resources and in the marine cartography.
Likewise, the meeting highlighted the reconditioning of the Intermares fishing vessel, designed for nautical-fishing training.
Finally, Spain formally invited the Turkish representatives to visit the country on the occasion of the Conxemar Fair, which will take place at the beginning of October in Vigo. This fair is one of the most important ones in the international fisheries sector, and notes the importance of Spain as the world’s fourth largest importer of fishery products.
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