Palamós fisheries closed by unanimous vote

On January 10th 2012, over 60 fishermen from 24 boats reached a unanimous agreement to close the deep-sea shrimp fisheries in Palamós, the most important fishery harbour in north east Spain. The decision was reached in an effort to protect juvenile shrimps which currently make up 50% of the fishermen’s catch and represents over 30% of their income. The fisheries will now be closed for three months, until April 2012, during which period it is expected that the juveniles will migrate to deeper waters, out of the reach of the fishing boats. The fishing community hope that the juvenile shrimps will then mature and boost the adult catch next year. GAP2 scientist Joan B. Company and his team will be collecting data over the next two years to assess whether this strategy benefits the fishery in the long-term.