"The rules of the game just aren’t being respected," said Emilio Martinez Cadilla, head of Spanish fishing company Espaderos del Atlantico.

"The EU surface longliner fleet is the most regulated fleet in the EU," Cadilla told IntraFish.

"On the marketing side, we are required to adhere to strict food safety regulations, pay attention to sanitary aspects, quality requirements etc. We invest a lot in protection of resources as well."

But European companies aren't being rewarded in equal measure despite sticking to the rules.

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