The Government of Principado de Asturias on 28 September 2026 in the Boletín Oficial del Principado de Asturias (BOPA) the rules for the 2026/2027 campaign for harvesting Percebes (goose barnacles). For the first time, women receive two additional points when places in the management plans are allocated. The measure is intended to make it easier for women to enter a traditionally male-dominated part of the coastal fishing sector and takes effect upon publication.
According to the notice, the campaign is generally scheduled to run until 1 October 2026 allocated for 2026 may not reach farmers in time by 30 April 2027 The scoring system includes other criteria in addition to the two points for women: five points go to people who worked during the immediately preceding year on a vessel on the third list with its home port in Asturias. Young Armadores under 40 receive two points. Further points are awarded for the length of membership of the relevant Cofradía de Pescadores and for uninterrupted registration in the Régimen Especial del Mar. Anyone who previously applied unsuccessfully for an allocation receives an additional point.
With this change, the regional government is intervening in the allocation system that determines who may legally harvest Percebes along the Asturian stretches of the Atlantic coast. The rule is based on the existing capacity of management plans, set by the relevant administrations in consultation with the fishing cooperatives. The wording of the resolution published in the BOPA is legally authoritative. Responsibility for detailed questions – such as joint ownership, how periods of employment are counted or recognition of evidence of experience – lies with the administration’s specialist departments.
The targeted preference for female applicants is part of a broader policy by the Principado de Asturias, which has aimed since 2026 to increase women’s presence in rural and maritime occupations. The approach combines gender equality goals with efforts to secure the next generation of fishing professionals. Whether the additional points measurably change the make-up of teams depends on the number of applications, the places available and regional demand for licences. Any claims about long-term effects remain predictions and require further data, for example from future application rounds and evaluations of the 2026/2027 campaign.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).