These are microbiocidal systems that also have the advantage of not requiring chemical products or large storage tanks. (Photo: FAO)

New shellfish purification facility will benefit Ferrol harvesters

SPAIN
Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 02:10 (GMT + 9)

The Ferrol shellfish harvesting sector, on which more than 200 families depend, will be the main beneficiary of the shellfish purification plant set up in the fishermen's association facility of this municipality of the province of A Coruña, in Galicia.

Rosa Quintana during her visit to the new plant installed by the Ferrol brotherhood.

This project of the Ártabro Gulf Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG), which was promoted by the guild itself and financed by the Galician Ministry of Marine Affairs with more than EUR 13,500, will allow shellfish harvesters to directly manage their catch sales without having to depend on intermediaries.

This was highlighted by the Minister of Marine Affairs, Rosa Quintana, during her visit to this Ferrol guild facility. There, she also highlighted that with this equipment, the shellfish sector will be able to purify the mollusks it captures (clams, cockles, oysters and Warty venus, among others).

Quintana stressed that actions such as this will improve the product price and will have a positive impact on the  commercial shellfish harvesters income, since the guild will buy the product from the auctioneers, and then purge, label, package and distribute it to the public in general and small restaurants.

 
During her stay in Ferrol, the head of the Ministry of Marine Affairs also visited the tidal dam of A Cabana, which is subject to recovery in the framework of another Ártabro Gulf FLAG project promoted by the City and financed by the Ministry of the Marine Affairs with EUR 150,000. This facility, which formerly worked as a shipyard and riparian carpentry, and its surroundings occupy ​​more than 5,000 m² in the area of ​​A Cabana.

These two Ártabro Gulf FLAGs initiatives are part of the approximately 250 FLAG projects that are being implemented, with a total aid value of EUR 17 million and a commitment to create a minimum of 267 direct jobs.

Quintana also recalled that in this year´s announcement, the Xunta de Galicia makes available to the FLAGs more than EUR 22.6 million for their projects, co-financed with the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, to be distributed in three annual installments.

In this regard, she recalled that in this call for new developments to promote the activity of these groups, one of which is the requirement that de minimis aid involve, at least, the creation of a full-time job. 

Another modification is the increase in the filing period for contribution requests, which will be permanently open until March 1, 2021. It also contemplates greater facilities for the promoters in the processing of grants and the transfer of surplus budget of the groups that have less projects to others for whom the funds are insufficient.

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