The Sea expands the eligible expenses for mollusk mortality grants

The Department of the Sea (Consellería do Mar) published in the Official Gazette of Galicia (DOG no. 167, of September 3, 2026) the Order of August 27, 2026, which modifies the bases for aid intended to alleviate losses due to mollusk mortality following the rainfall episodes of 2026. The modification extends the period of eligible expenses, which now covers from February 10 (the date of the declaration of civil protection emergency by the Council of Ministers) until November 15, 2026.

The regulation, signed by the Minister of the Sea, Marta Villaverde Acuña, modifies point 3 of article 7 (Eligible expenses) of the Order of July 29, 2026, which establishes the regulatory bases and the call for the year 2026 under a non-competitive competition regime (procedure code PE209Q). The extract of the call, with identifier BDNS 923664, was signed by the technical general secretary, Marta Barreiro Castro.

Aid to recover shellfish beds

The original order aimed to finance projects for the acquisition of seed intended for the repopulation, recovery, and repair of shellfish beds affected by the 2026 rains. The need to recover the beds as quickly as possible led guilds and associations to make seed purchases urgently, as shellfish activity recommends doing so before autumn to ensure viability.

The delay in processing meant that, in certain cases, beneficiary entities had already incurred expenses prior to the publication of the order. Therefore, the modification is considered indispensable to guarantee the coverage of these expenses, provided they are linked to the damage caused by the rainfall episodes and were incurred and paid from February 10, 2026.

Who can benefit and how much is distributed

The maximum amount of subsidies to be granted in 2026 will be €800,000 in a single annual installment. Beneficiary entities may include:

• Fishermen’s guilds (confrarías).
• Producer organizations.
• Sea cooperatives.
• Professional associations of the sector and other legally recognized associative entities.

In all cases, they must be entities holding shellfish plans under a co-management regime and have their registered office in the Autonomous Community of Galicia.

Eligible expenses and deadlines

Expenses incurred and paid from February 10, 2026, to November 15, 2026, will be considered eligible, provided they are duly justified by documentation and meet the other requirements of the order. The modification is limited to the single article, meaning the rest of the content of the order remains in full force, including the non-competitive competition granting regime and the processing of applications in order of submission until the credit is exhausted.

The publication of this modification order will not imply the modification of the deadline established for submitting applications. The regulation will take effect from the day following its publication in the DOG.

The extension of the period for eligible expenses provides security to the shellfish entities that have already invested in seed to repopulate the beds, ensuring that their investments made since the declaration of emergency can be covered. This is a key measure to accelerate the recovery of a sector hard hit by the rains of 2026.

Source: Official Gazette of Galicia, no. 167, September 3, 2026, section III (Other provisions), pp. 47903-47906 (official reference: CVE-DOG 68cgp6e6-epl5-fjv2-0mp9-bhzuzyxoesj3 and CVE-DOG 3qfrvqn3-zzj6-opf7-v1w3-tctrelknnwn1).