Traditional fishing and aquaculture: competitive business in harmony with nature

Every morning, small fishing boats leave the port of Bueu in Spanish Galicia to look for edible razor clams a few kilometres from the mainland near Ons, one of the Galician islands in the Atlantic Ocean. This is a specially protected area. Only the most careful fishing methods are allowed.

Thirty-one-year old Jesús Pilarte Vilar has been catching the clams for the past five years. Like other fishers in the area, he doesn’t use any industrial tools that could damage the seabed. Instead, he dives to find and carefully pull molluscs from the sand one by one.

Preserving this traditional method allowed the fishery to obtain a Marine Stewardship Council certification recognising its sustainability. The work day isn’t very long, as each clammer is only allowed to collect 15 kilograms of molluscs.

Controls are mandatory: the catches are verified by their colleagues and are often checked by the authorities. So, what makes these restrictions necessary?

A few years ago, the Galicia islands — both the land and adjacent sections of sea — were declared a national park. The unique ecosystem of these archipelagos requires constant protection. For the park administration, that meant curbing the flow of tourists to manageable levels, and reaching an understanding with local fishers.

‘If the fishers can see that the protection measures improve the livelihood for themselves and their families, then it’s a win for us all. Then they can continue fishing for many more years, while the bird and fish populations continue to live here. And the tourists, who also make part of our ecosystem, can keep enjoying this protected area,’ said José Antonio Fernández Bouzas, director and curator of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia Maritime-Terrestrial National