Fisheries distributes 200 tons of northern hake obtained through exchange with France

The General Secretariat for Fisheries has resolved the distribution of 200 tonnes of the northern hake stock (HKE/8ABDE.) obtained through a quota exchange agreement with France. The decision is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) no. 246, dated October 3, 2026, via the Resolution of October 1, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-20579). The distribution is allocated individually among 74 vessels from the deep-sea, distant-water, and longliner fleets.

The operation is supported by Article 8 of Order APA/315/2020, of April 1, which sets the conditions for quota exchanges (swaps) with other Member States. Within the framework of regular negotiations with community partners, the General Secretariat for Fisheries closed an agreement with France whereby the Spanish fleet receives quantities of haddock (HAD/7XA34) and hake (HKE/8ABDE.).

The exchange is financed with part of the horse mackerel reserve from stock JAX/2A-14 established in the Resolution of May 27, 2026, of the General Secretariat for Fisheries, intended to obtain quotas of interest to Spain. The distribution complies with the management plan of Order APM/920/2017, of September 22, which regulates the censuses of deep-sea, distant-water, and longliner fleets of more and less than 100 gross register tonnes (GRT) operating within the scope of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.

An individual distribution based on fishing opportunities

Annex I of the resolution details the quota assigned to each vessel in kilograms, calculated according to its fishing opportunities. The total amount distributed amounts to 200 tonnes of northern hake.

The highest allocations correspond to:

• KAXARRA (OPPAO): 11,034 kg
• KAXU (OPPAO): 10,815 kg
• FARO SILLEIRO DOS (OPP-13): 9,709 kg
• KALAMENDI (OPPAO): 9,066 kg
• SUKARI PRIMERO (OPECA): 8,163 kg
• BREOGAN TRES (OPP-BURELA): 8,095 kg
• ALBELO PRIMERO (OPP-PUERTO DE CELEIRO): 7,986 kg

At the opposite end, the smallest distributions are those of JUNDIÑA CUARTO (OPPF4), with 2 kg; COVADONGA PRIMERO (OPP-PUERTO DE CELEIRO), with 8 kg; and PESCABERBES TRES (OPPF4), with 67 kg.

Eight management entities and four longliners

The beneficiary vessels are grouped into eight management entities: ARPACAN, OPECA, OPP-13, OPPAO, OPP-BURELA, OPPF4, OPP-PUERTO DE CELEIRO, and OPROMAR. The entity with the most vessels is OPP-PUERTO DE CELEIRO, with 21 vessels, followed by OPP-BURELA (17) and OPPF4 (16).

Four of the included vessels are bottom longliners of less than 100 GRT, identified with an asterisk in the annex:

• CRISTO DEL SOCORRO (ARPACAN): 466 kg
• SIEMPRE BALUARTE (ARPACAN): 1,608 kg
• PLAYA DE ARBEYAL (OPP-BURELA): 466 kg
• SEGMON (OPP-BURELA): 1,103 kg

One-month deadline to appeal

This resolution does not exhaust administrative remedies. An appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed within one month before the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in accordance with articles 121 and 122, in relation to 112.1, of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations.

The text was signed in Madrid on October 1, 2026, by the Secretary General of Fisheries, Isabel Artime García.

The allocation strengthens the fishing opportunities for the deep-sea and longline fleet of the Cantabrian Sea and Galicia, which thus gains access to an additional quota of northern hake without direct cost, as the exchange is covered by the horse mackerel reserve destined for swaps. For shipowners and crews from ports such as Burela, Celeiro, and those of the Cantabrian Sea, the individual allocation per vessel allows for the planning of activity for the remainder of the year with an official and verifiable reference.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 246, of October 3, 2026, Sec. III. Other provisions, page 129238 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-20579).