Spain's Fishing Sector and Energy Landscape Analysis

Fishing Industry in Spain

1. Spain, a Fishing Industry Powerhouse

• Spain is an important player in the world of fishing because the number of captures has a high commercial value and the fishing fleet is very significant.
• Apart from this, fishermen in Spain are very qualified and experienced.

2. Fishing Sector Expansion and Challenges

• Before 1970, the Spanish fleet was very powerful and achieved large captures around the world.
• However, since 1973, the sector has faced a crisis due to:
  • Depletion of species in Spanish waters (e.g., whales).
  • Difficulty accessing other areas with more fish, such as Morocco, the USA, and Canada, as these countries limited fishing areas in their waters.
• It is necessary to restock fish populations and catch fish in a more sustainable way, for example, through fish farming.

3. The Spanish Fleet in the European Union

• The Spanish fishing fleet can fish freely in European Union waters under quotas and licenses. The captures of some species are also controlled.
• The Spanish fishing industry did not benefit fully from entry into the European Union because:
  • The number of fish caught was already excessive in relation to the fish population.
  • Free competition with other countries was also negative for our fleet.
  • Spain has had to use smaller ships with less capacity than before if fishermen wanted to receive subsidies from the European Union.

Energy in Spain

1. Primary Energy Sources

• Spain does not have enough natural resources for energy production. For this reason, it has to import petrol and natural gas.
• The main natural resources consumed are:

Coal: Used to generate electricity by burning it in power stations.

Nuclear energy: Used to generate energy in nuclear power stations. Some people are against them because of nuclear waste. Vandellós was closed a few years ago, and more nuclear power stations have been built.

Hydroelectric energy: Electricity is obtained in hydroelectric power stations. They are situated next to rivers, like in Camarasa, depending on the water volume.

Alternative energies: We find solar energy and wind energy in Spain.

2. The Future of Energy in Spain

• The main energetic problems that Spain faces are:
  • Growing energy consumption due to increasing population in cities and industry development in some areas.
  • Dependence on energy imports like coal, petrol, and natural gas.
• To solve these problems:
  • It is important to reduce the amount of energy consumption.
  • It is important to improve technology. If technology improves, transport will be more efficient and save energy.