On Monday, 9 February 2026, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, visited the port of Palamós to gain first-hand insight into the local fishing sector and the projects promoted by the Palamós Fishermen’s Guild and the Palamós Fishery Producers’ Organisation (OPP-91).
The visit began at the Fishing Museum and continued with a tour of the port’s main facilities, including the OPP processing plant, the fish market and auction area, as well as the Espai del Peix, where projects linked to the town’s heritage, outreach and fishing culture were presented.
Results, structure and role of the POs
During the visit to the processing plant, the president of the Fishermen’s Guild, Miquel Mir, and the managing director, Cristina Mañas, presented the main results of the sector’s activity and explained the role of the POs as a key tool for fisheries management, sustainability, defence of fishers’ interests and the improvement of marketing.
The POs currently brings together all fishing vessels based in Palamós, covering different fishing gears, and also includes small-scale fishing boats from L’Estartit and L’Escala, as well as a purse seine vessel from Blanes. The port of Palamós has 36 vessels, 34 fishing companies and 108 fishers, with an annual production exceeding €8.3 million, figures that position Palamós as a key port within the Catalan fishing sector.
Progress in sustainability and product valorisation
One of the highlights was the entry, in 2025, of the prawn trawling fleet into the MSC Improvement Programme, an international sustainability standard. This process includes a two-and-a-half-year action plan aimed at achieving full certification and becoming the first Mediterranean trawl fishery certified under this standard.
The value of the OPP processing plant project was also explained, as it enables the preparation of fresh, locally sourced fish products ready for consumption, particularly for hospitals and schools, expanding marketing channels and bringing local fish to new consumption settings.
The visit concluded with a meeting with representatives of the local fishing sector, during which the results of the year were shared and views were exchanged on the evolution of the sector and the main future challenges facing fisheries in Catalonia.
Within the framework of the meeting, the Fishermen’s Guild and the POs outlined the lines of work currently being developed and expressed their willingness to continue collaborating with the Administration, contributing experience, data and knowledge to the development of the Catalan fishing sector.
