The skipjack shoreline is being very good this year, thus following in the wake of the previous two. This month, nearly 70% of the quota allowed by Asturian fishermen has already been covered, so the forecast is that the season may be terminated between August 15 and 20.

 

 

The good figures for fishing and sales contrast with the bad omen that the sector has on its more immediate future. Less than a month to end the campaign, they do not know what will happen to them when they are prohibited from fishing more beautiful. An uncertain situation that they fear will put many fishermen in check. "We do not know what will happen to the sector from the end of August, it is lived with great uncertainty because they would have to go for other species and prices are not accompanying", explained Ramón Álvarez, manager of the Rula de Avilés, that last June he received 213,910 kilos of skipjack, which meant a sale of 1.2 million euros and an average price of 5.70 euros per kilo, somewhat higher than that registered in the same month last year when it was of 5.51 euros.

 

 

Spain has assigned a total of 16,620 tons of national quota determined by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which allocates just over 33,000 tons to the European Union. “The solution is to expand the quota that we are allowed to fish. It is the best solution to return to having campaigns like those from before that lasted until October, "said Tomás Badiola, president of the 'Virgen de las Mareas' Fishermen's Association of Avilés.

 

But that quota is reviewed every three years and it is time to do this, so this season it will be almost impossible to allow them to go out to work once the quota is covered.