At the end of 2023, Julio Morón Ayala was named the chair of the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA) by its board of directors, replacing Juan Manuel Liria Franch, who retired after holding the position since 2020.
Morón has significant experience in fisheries work and has served in many capacities for several leading organizations, including as managing director of the Organization of Associated Producers of Large Freezer Tuna Freezers (OPAGAC). Immediately prior to this latest appointment, he served CEPESCA as vice president. He’s also a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of the Sea and is president of Working Group 4 of the Long Distance Advisory Council of the European Union (LDAC). In an interview with SeafoodSource, Morón outlined some of the main challenges and opportunities facing Spain’s fishing industry and also areas where he believes CEPESCA can bring about positive change.
SeafoodSource: What attracted you to this new role and what will you be looking to achieve in the position?
Morón: My hope is that CEPESCA further defends the Spanish fishing sector, which is facing many challenges and needs to capitalize on the successful management of many different fisheries. CEPESCA also needs to better inform the public about the benefits of consuming fish, as [it is] the most healthy source of wild protein with the lowest carbon footprint.
SeafoodSource: What are the immediate priorities for CEPESCA moving forward?
Morón: A paramount objective for CEPESCA in the coming months is the European Parliament elections [taking place 6 to 9 June 2024]. With the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) being an exclusive competence for the E.U. fleet, we need the commissioner in charge of fishing to face up to the priority challenge of food sovereignty.
The E.U. food system is highly dependent on fish imports, [which amount to] EUR 30 billion [USD 32.5 billion] a year, while E.U. fish production is constantly decreasing. Some EUR 4.2 billion [USD 4.5 billion] is spent importing fish from countries with a high risk of human rights abuses, forced labor, and poor fisheries management systems. We also need the E.U. Commission to stop a suicidal policy that depicts [our] fishermen as [something] close to [criminal] suspects and which does not encourage new generations to replace the aging fisher population.
But, after so many years [prioritizing] environmental sustainability, we now see hope, with the E.U. Court of Justice ruling against that prevalence and some of the [environmental] NGOs’ demands. This validates the socioeconomic sustainability claims that member states are making at the E.U. Council. [We] hope that it could mark the future for the CFP.
SeafoodSource: In the longer term, what are the main challenges and opportunities facing Spain’s fishing industry?
Morón: The decrease in fish consumption and being able to replace fishermen are challenges that we need to address immediately because these will [direct] the future 10 years of the fishing industry in Spain.
The main opportunity the Spanish fishing sector is we have been adapting our fishing modes to follow the objectives of the CFP (i.e., through sustainable fishing), and now we need to [show] that value to the market, promoting it ahead of the imports that are coming from suspicious sources. Another problem that has arisen during these inflationary times is the rising price of fish and that it doesn’t benefit from VAT [value-added tax] reduction as a fundamental food for a healthy population.
SeafoodSource: How can the industry overcome these challenges so it becomes more competitive?
Morón: First, by getting united as a sector, avoiding the local competitive spirit that has always characterized fishermen. CEPESCA has been trying for a long time to become a reference for the fishing industry, and we hope to attract more members to work together stronger. We also need a legal framework that champions fair competition and opposes cheap, imported fish from fisheries where lower standards are applied compared with E.U. standards.
SeafoodSource: To help achieve these aims, what changes are necessary at national and international levels?
Morón: We need better control of imports in all member states of the E.U. because we know that despite the fact that ...
Photo courtesy of CEPESCA
