The Principality of Asturias has officially announced the regulations for the upcoming elver fishing season, in contrast to the suspension of the season in the Basque Country , with a limit of 30 days of fishing per professional , a measure that seeks to reduce pressure on the resource and keep alive a practice with strong roots on the Asturian coast.
The scheme, designed in coordination with the sector and aligned with community criteria, also includes license controls, traceability through weighing and digital registration , and the requirement to use only the traditional art of sieving.
Calendar and maximum effort
The campaign will run from November 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. Within that period, each professional will have 30 effective days of activity for the capture of elvers, a limitation that acts as a brake on the accumulated fishing effort.
This planning is in accordance with the European eel management plans and European Union regulations, seeking a balance between sustainability, economic viability and preservation of the shellfish tradition.
Licenses, control and permitted arts
The regional government will maintain a limited licensing system , with renewals geared towards professionals, and will strengthen control systems over catches with digital registration tools and weighing verifications to guarantee product traceability.
- Granting of a limited number of professional licenses.
- Mandatory weighing and electronic recording of catches.
- Exclusive use of traditional sieve art, without exceptions.
These measures, of a technical and operational nature, are designed to make the monitoring of the fishery agile, reliable and verifiable by the administration and the sector itself.
Local management zones and plans
The department has worked with the Fishermen's Guilds of Cudillero and San Juan de la Arena , as well as those of Llanes, Ribadesella and Bustio, to define actions by area and adjust the activity to the unique characteristics of each estuary and stretch of coast.
There will be specific plans in the Nalón estuary , in eastern Asturias and in the Tinamayor estuary , in addition to the delimitation of zones in the west and center of the coast, in order to regulate the presence of fishing gear and optimize the capture points.
Fleet and aid for definitive cessation
In parallel, the Principality will activate a plan for the definitive cessation of vessels over the next two years to adjust the fleet's capacity to the real possibilities of the fishery and reinforce the sustainability of the resource.
The initiative, co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFF) , contemplates the scrapping of ships or their conversion to activities other than commercial fishing, reducing effort in unbalanced segments.
Context and evolution of the measures
Since the end of the last century, Asturias has implemented adjustments to respond to the decline in catches: a 60% reduction in licenses since 1995 , a ban on recreational fishing of certain phases (yellow and silver eels) and the aforementioned limit of 30 effective days of activity per professional.
The sector has been able to adapt to demanding restrictions in order to safeguard a practice that is part of the identity and economy of the coast, as highlighted by the Directorate General of Maritime Fisheries.
With this roadmap, the Administration and the fishermen's associations seek to combine the continuity of an emblematic fishery with the conservation of the stock , relying on control tools and territorial planning tailored to each estuary.
The 30-day limit, traceability controls, and zone management form a package that prioritizes long-term sustainability and provides certainty to professionals about how and where to carry out their activity during the campaign.