Andalusia calls for 8.5 million for the temporary halt of the fishing fleet

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía has announced 8,575,000 euros in aid for the temporary cessation of fishing and shellfish gathering activities for the fleet with a base port in Andalusia. The call, referring to the year 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía (BOJA) no. 185, dated September 23, 2026, by means of the Order of September 7, 2026 and its summary (texts no. 12271 and 12273, pages 12271 and 12273). The total available amount may not be exceeded and is distributed among shipowners and crew members of trawlers, purse seiners, and small-scale fisheries.

Regulatory framework and financing

The call is issued under the Order of September 2, 2022, which establishes the regulatory bases for these grants on a non-competitive basis, published in BOJA no. 173, dated September 8, 2022, and amended by the Order of May 22, 2024 (BOJA no. 102, dated May 28, 2024). It is framed within Article 21.2.a) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 (EMFAF) and implements Royal Decree 1173/2015, amended by Royal Decree 528/2022, of July 5.

The credits are co-financed 70% by EMFAF funds and 30% by funds from the General State Administration, except for fleet stoppages that operate exclusively in inland waters or engage in shellfish gathering on foot, afloat, or from a vessel, which are co-financed 70% by EMFAF and 30% by the Junta de Andalucía. The call appears in the National Grants Database with the identifiers 929244-929241-929233-929240-929229.

Five lines of aid and their stoppages

• Mediterranean fishing ground trawling: 1,700,000 euros for shipowners and 1,500,000 for crew; stoppages from February 1 to March 5, 2026 (Almería, Granada, Alborán Fishing Reserve and adjacent fishing grounds), from October 1 to 31 (Málaga coast except Marbella) and from November 1 to 30 (Marbella).
• Gulf of Cádiz purse seining: 700,000 euros for shipowners and 800,000 for crew; stoppage from December 1, 2026, to January 31, 2027.
• Gulf of Cádiz trawling: 640,000 euros for shipowners and 960,000 for crew; stoppage from September 16 to October 31, 2026.
• Small-scale fisheries using traps for octopus capture on the Mediterranean coast: 725,000 euros for shipowners and 600,000 for crew; stoppage from July 1 to September 30, 2026.
• Specific gear for octopus capture in the Gulf of Cádiz: 550,000 euros for shipowners and 400,000 for crew; stoppage from August 16 to October 31, 2026.

Crew members of Mediterranean bottom trawlers affected by the reduction of fishing effort will receive 50 euros per subsidizable day, according to the individualized scale certified by the General Secretariat of Fisheries on May 21, 2026. Following the mandatory closed season, up to 30 additional days of stoppage due to the reduction of fishing effort may be added, to be carried out between January 1 and December 31, 2026.

Requirements, deadlines, and resolution

Beneficiaries may include shipowners or operators of vessels registered as active in the General Register of the Fishing Fleet with at least 120 days of fishing activity in the previous two calendar years, as well as crew members who have worked at sea for that same minimum number of days. For octopus aid, 90 of those days must be dedicated to that catch, and a minimum of 1,800 kg must be credited, verified ex officio through sales notes.

• General deadline: the last ten business days of each temporary stoppage.
• Mediterranean trawling: from January 11 to 25, 2027, both inclusive.
• Submission: exclusively electronic, via the Single Electronic Registry, using procedure codes 25063, 25065, 25066, and 25070.
• Resolution: the Directorate General of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Blue Economy resolves and notifies within three months; administrative silence constitutes a rejection.

The order was signed in Seville on September 17, 2026, by the Deputy Councilor Consolación Vera Sánchez, by authorization of the councilor.

This aid supports the income of shipowners and crew members during mandatory stoppages and fishing effort reductions, within a context of reduced working days in the Mediterranean. Its distribution across five lines and two fishing grounds conditions the planning of the guilds and the ports of Almería, Granada, Málaga, and the Gulf of Cádiz during the coming year.

Source: Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía, no. 185, of September 23, 2026, 1. General provisions, pages 12271 and 12273 (official reference: texts no. 12271 and 12273).