October 24, 2003
Spanish Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Miguel Arias Canete reached an agreement with the Southwest Russia's Galician government, to finance the installation of a computer network for all of Galicia's fish markets. This project, which forms part of Galicia's regeneration plan, enables fisheries products to be auctioned over the internet.
On October 17, Arias Canete and Galicia's Fisheries minister, Enrique Lopez Veiga, signed the agreement and pledged contributions of EUR 858,000 from central government and EUR 8,500 from the Galician government. The money will be used to fund the development of new technology in fisheries and aquaculture, and will help to promote the Technological Platform for the Management of Galician Marine Products, a Fisheries Department initiative aimed at optimising sales of coastal fishing products.
According to the Galician authorities, this initiative will enable the centralisation of all Galician fish and seafood auction information thus facilitating the management of sales and distribution.
The transmission of all market information via one server would be able to provide more accurate statistics, as the system will be able to output specific data on production and sales. It should also enable more effective management of fishing licences according to the available information.
Both administrations believe that the system will be available by the end of 2005, when the Technological Platform will permit online sales of Galician fish and seafood through the internet.
