An investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), published yesterday, reveals that more than 80 percent of subsidized fishing companies that were fined in Spain for fishing infractions – and then lost subsequent court appeals – continued to receive subsidies.

The Spanish fishing industry has received more than €5.8 billion (more than $8 billion) in subsidies from the EU and Spain since 2000 – far more than the industry of any other EU country.

The ICIJ published two stories Sunday 2 October:
Nearly €6 billion in subsidies fuel Spain’s ravenous fleet
Spain doles out millions in aid despite fishing company’s record

Greenpeace also released a report on the same subject, quoted in The Independent. The report says that Spanish fishermen suspected of landing illegal catches are receiving multimillion-euro payouts from European Union taxpayers.

Among the newspapers that have published the ICIJ stories are
El País: Pescadores de lista negra
EU Observer: EU subsidies fuel Spain’s ravenous fleet
Huffington Post: Spain Fishing Fleet Fueled By Major Subsidies, Report Finds

Update October 4: ICIJ today published a second story in their investigation on Spanish fisheries. Spain’s seafood appetite threatens Namibia’s most valuable fish

Update October 6: ICIJ today published the third story in their investigation: Hake hoax in Spanish markets

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