The lack of generational renewal is one of the main challenges facing the fishing sector. With the aim of supporting the entry of new professionals, the Palamós Fisheries Producers Organisation (OPP-91) has launched a partnership with the Blas de Lezo school in Pasaia, in the Basque Country, one of the leading centres for the training of future fishing vessel skippers.
This collaboration is based on the Basque dual training model, which combines academic education with hands-on experience on board fishing vessels. The system helps young people enter the sector and is regarded by the OPP as an effective way to secure the future of the profession.
The first outcome of this initiative is the arrival in Palamós of Aritz Aguirre, a student on the Advanced Vocational Training programme in Deep-Sea Fishing and Maritime Transport in Pasaia. This summer, he has completed his work placement on board Nova Meda, a vessel belonging to the Palamós fishing fleet. The OPP coordinated his placement and provided him with financial support so that he could complete this training period without generating any additional cost for the vessel owner, thereby enabling a more comprehensive learning experience fully integrated into the crew.
For the OPP, this experience illustrates the potential of cooperation between regions with a strong fishing tradition and reinforces the need to promote similar models in Catalonia. The organisation had previously developed a pilot project with the Catalan Nautical and Fisheries School to facilitate work placements for students completing the Fisherman Seafarer certificate, and it continues to work towards consolidating dual training in the region.
Beyond the recruitment of new skippers and crew members, the OPP also works to encourage generational renewal in the auxiliary trades linked to fishing, which are essential for maintaining the fleet. Through initiatives such as this one, the organisation reaffirms its commitment to the future of the sector by promoting training, professionalisation and the attraction of new generations to a profession with a long tradition and strong future prospects.
