Spain's Agricultural Landscapes and Fishing Sector Challenges

Modern Agricultural Inputs and Technology

Controlling plant growth in greenhouses often utilizes advanced computer systems.

3. Chemical Products: The use of chemicals as fertilizers, and products to combat various diseases or pests (pesticides). These products are created by the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and help fight plant diseases.
4. Water Management: The channeling of water and the emergence of new irrigation systems have allowed the expansion of irrigated areas, often to the detriment of traditional rainfed areas.

Agricultural Landscapes of Spain

The Agricultural Landscape Defined

The agricultural landscape is being modified by human intervention in order to obtain products from nature. Within this landscape, we can distinguish three main factors:

• Natural Factors: Climate, relief, soil type, etc. These factors determine both the type of cultivation and the distribution and shapes of fields.
• Productive Factors: Such as the extent of vegetable areas covered, or the size of farms.
• Cultural and Historical Factors: These factors determine, to some extent, how the human habitat and communication networks are distributed, thereby determining the overall landscape.

Spanish Fishing Activity

Challenges in Spanish Fishing Grounds

The two most serious problems facing the Spanish fishing sector are:

1. Overexploitation: The overexploitation of fishing grounds closer to shore (coast), specifically the Cantabrian coast, the coast of Galicia, and the Mediterranean coast, which are becoming exhausted.
2. Access Difficulties: Difficulties in accessing fishing areas, particularly the North Sea, where the EU has set fishing quotas and periods of closure. In Newfoundland and the Saharan Bank, there are conflicts with Canada and Morocco, respectively. On the coast of Somalia, vessels face piracy.

The reduction in catches has led to the search for an alternative to traditional fishing. Aquaculture (caged fish farming) has emerged to satisfy the increasingly large demand for fish and seafood. The FAO recommends the enhancement of aquaculture for its great contribution to food security and poverty reduction.

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

Spain's integration into the EU meant that Spain had to abide by a series of rules set by the European fishing policy, which determines the characteristics...