Three out of four European fish stocks are overfished

The Viarsa chapter

To a large extent the region of Galicia – home to Europe’s largest fishing port, Vigo – is still reliant on fish even though the waters of the European Union are among the most exploited in the world.

It is here in Galicia that a handful of families have pulled the strings of a transnational network of vessels. And it’s the Vidal family that helped many get into the business by navigating the vessel registration process in Uruguay – a base from which many of the blacklisted ships operated. The Vidals set up offices in Montevideo, hired locals to manage and – when legal claims were brought – to take the blame, court records show. Continue Reading