Medio Rural sets the barnacle regulations in El Musel for 2026/2027

The Regional Ministry of Rural Environment and Agricultural Policy has established the specific rules for goose barnacle extraction in the port areas of the Port of El Musel, in Gijón, for the 2026/2027 campaign. The resolution, signed on September 22, 2026, by the regional minister Marcelino Marcos Líndez, is published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) no. 188, dated September 29, 2026, under reference 2026-07837. The regulation comes into force on the day of its publication and limits the activity to a maximum of 27 shellfish gatherers.

The Port of El Musel contains areas with goose barnacle resources “of certain importance,” traditionally exploited by local foot-shellfish gatherers. According to the text, the specific nature of these sites necessitates the establishment of concrete management rules to make the harvesting of the product compatible with the necessary security measures.

The resolution is based on Article 29 of the Principality of Asturias Law 2/1993, of October 29, on Sea Fishing in Internal Waters and the Exploitation of Marine Resources, and Article 9 of Decree 35/98, of June 18, which regulates foot-shellfish gathering in waters under regional jurisdiction and provides for the creation of restricted fishing zones. The text has been drafted in agreement with the Port Authority of Gijón.

Calendar, schedules, and authorized zones

• Eligible campaign period: from October 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027.
• Extraction may only be carried out during daylight hours, between two hours before low tide and one hour after.
• It is prohibited from 00:00 hours on Saturday until 24:00 hours on Sunday, as well as on public holidays.
• Authorized shellfish gathering zones: the blocks of the Aboño coal park and the emerged blocks of the outer breakwater of the Port expansion, from the start of the breakwater to the end of the first curve to the Northwest.
• The catch quota will be that established in the annual regulatory Order for the 2026/2027 goose barnacle campaign.

Census, security, and access

The maximum number of authorized shellfish gatherers will be 27, belonging to the goose barnacle management plan of the Central Coast. The census will be prepared by the General Directorate of Sea Fishing of the Principality and will be sent to the Port Authority of Gijón before the start of the activity, which must mandatorily be carried out in pairs.

• Personal Accident and Civil Liability insurance policy as a prerequisite for obtaining the operating authorization.
• Protective helmet for walking through port areas; wetsuit and/or life jacket for harvesting.
• Diving mask and snorkel only as safety equipment for moving between blocks; goose barnacle extraction via diving is expressly prohibited.
• Land access to the Outer Breakwater: vehicles parked against the wall and as close as possible to the stairs, ascent via the first staircase near Cabo Torres, and transit always via the upper walkway of the Breakwater, never via the port esplanade.
• It is recommended to harvest with a wave height not exceeding 3 meters as measured by the Port’s outer wave buoy.

Surveillance, sanctions, and appeals

Shellfishers must comply at all times with the instructions of the Port Police, who may interrupt or prevent fishing activities if weather conditions pose a risk to people. Furthermore, the extraction activity is subject to the corresponding access authorization from the Port Authority of Gijón.

Non-compliance with the conditions may lead to the processing of disciplinary proceedings, depending on the case, in accordance with maritime fishing and shelling regulations or Royal Legislative Decree 2/2011, of September 5, on State Ports and the Merchant Marine. The General Directorate of Maritime Fisheries is authorized to agree on modifications to quotas, zones, closed seasons, and other provisions based on the evolution of the resource.

Against the resolution, which ends the administrative route, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Asturias within two months from the day following its publication.

The regulation governs a high-risk activity that takes place in port facilities under construction and with maritime traffic, and arrives while the shelling sector is awaiting a stable calendar to plan the campaign. The limit of 27 authorizations and the requirement to work in pairs reinforce the control over the resource and the safety of the shellfishers, while the Port Authority retains the key to access the blocks.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA), no. 188 of September 29, 2026, I. Principality of Asturias — Other Provisions, pág. 1-2 (official reference: 2026-07837).