Institutional support

Viana do Castelo es la ciudad atlántica situada más al norte de Portugal, a unos 25 minutos del aeropuerto internacional de Porto. Su municipio tiene una población de 91.000 habitantes en una extensión de 314 km2. Está íntimamente ligada al mar; la economía se sustenta en los astilleros, y en los sectores dependientes del turismo, el comercio y los servicios.

The Provincial Deputation of Pontevedra is responsible for the governance and administration of the province, which is composed of 62 municipalities. It has a population of 959,700 inhabitants and an area of 4,495 km2.

The Provincial Deputation of Ourense is responsible for the governance and administration of the province, which is composed of 92 municipalities. It has a population of 335,600 and an area of 7092 km2. The region is an important node for communications between Galicia and Portugal.

Vigo is a coastal city along the Rias Baixas and it has about 110km2 of extension. It has a population of about 300,000 inhabitants but, daily, in this city, live, work and study almost half a million people. The city of Vigo is characterized by a diversified economy related to shipbuilding and the fishing industry (in all its forms: quarrying, shipping, trade, canning …), industry (led by automotive PSA Peugeot Citroën car) and services.

The Maritime Safety and Rescue Agency – Maritime Rescue responds to all emergencies that may arise at sea: rescue operations, search operations, medical evacuations, towing, combating pollution, broadcasting navigation alerts and encouragement of maritime traffic safety. From its 21 Rescue Coordination Centres located throughout the coast, the coastguard coordinates 1,500 professionals working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The A Coruña Port Authority is in a decisive point in its development, with the development, implementation and commissioning of new facilities in Punta Langosteira, considered an opportunity for the future of Galicia. The activity of the outer harbour will provide economic development and employment in its area of influence, while minimizing environmental risk and allowing for the necessary space for urban expansion. Currently the port has a total of 8.458 meters for the different services: 4.230 meters for commercial docks, 2.954 meters for fishing docks and 1274 meters for Navy docks.

The Port of Vilagarcía provides a major economic stimulus to the counties of Arousa and Salnés. It is the reception and distribution centre for goods from many remote areas. The port has a total area of 450,000 square meters. The mooring line reaches 1,922 meters, 697 meters of which have a depth of 11 meters (equinoctial low tide) and the remaining approximately 7.5 meters.

The Vigo Port Authority oversees one of the largest logistics and business complexes in Europe. The port of Vigo is located in the North-western Iberian Peninsula, 45 miles south of the North Atlantic. In addition to exerting their influence over the surrounding area (northern Portugal and Castile), inflows of traffic into the port reach more than 2,000 vessels a year.

Ports of the State is a public body under the remit of the Ministry of Development, with overall responsibility for the wholly-state-owned port system. It also has responsibility for implementing the government’s port policy and the coordination and efficiency control of a port system composed of 28 official port and 44 ports of general interest.

The Vigo Free Trade Area Consortium is a public institution created in 1947 for the operation and administration of the Vigo Free Trade Area. A free trade area is a territory where a special customs regime is applied, such as exemption from customs duties for foreign goods and a number of tax advantages. Presently, the job of the Consortium also includes all socio-economic activities that promote and support the development of their area of influence.

The Provigo Foundation and its Area, founded in 1993, were created to act as a forum for institutions and entities articulating civic life. Its aim is to promote the socioeconomic development of Vigo and surrounding areas. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, open to all persons and legal entities interested in collaborating in its development. Its patrons are the City Council of Vigo, the Chamber of Commerce, the Provincial Confederation of Entrepreneur, Caixanova, UVigo and PSA Peugeot-Citroen, among others.

The Provincial Deputation of A Coruña is in charge of the governance and administration of the province, which is composed of 94 municipalities and 939 parishes. It has a population of 1,145 million and an area of 7964 km2.

The Association of Val Miñor City Councils is the association of municipalities in Baiona, Gondomar and Nigran.

The municipality of Ferrol is located north of the province of A Coruña, 72 km from the capital. It has a population of 74,000 divided into 13 parishes, in an area of 82.65 km2. Through the use of its fishing and commercial port, Ferrol is a city oriented towards traditional maritime activities such as shipbuilding, civilian and military shipyards, and several Navy facilities and various tourist beaches.

The municipality of Marin is located in the peninsula of Morrazo, on the southern shore of the Pontevedra Canal. The city centre is only 7 km away from Pontevedra. It has a population of 26,000 in an area of 35.9 km2. Fishing is its main economic activity. Its fishing port is the most important in both Galicia and Spain due to its depth and ease of mooring mooring, making it preferable to others such as Vigo, even in situations of adverse weather.

The Pontevedra municipality of Cangas is located on the southwestern most tip of the Morrazo peninsula, at the heart of the Rias Baixas, between the estuaries of Vigo and Pontevedra, and flanked by Cies and Ons Islands. It has a population of 25,000 divided into five parishes: Aldán Darbo, Hío, Coiro and Cangas. Its economy is based on fishing and manufacturing.

The Pontevedra municipality of Moaña is located in the Morrazo peninsula, north of the Vigo canal. It has a population of 19,000 in an area of 31.5 km2. The municipality’s economy has always been related with the sea, with all types of fishing taking place: inshore fishing (crab, octopus, haddock), shellfish (cockles, clams) and battery-farming (mussels).

A Guarda is the southernmost locality of the Pontevedra province. It is bordered by the Minho River to the southeast, separating it from Portugal, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the City of Rosal to the north. It has a population of 10,400 in an area of 20.5 km2. Fishing activities are deeply rooted in A Guarda and provide a major source of income. The swordfish catching fleet is considered one of the most important in Spain.

The Pontevedra municipality of Baiona is surrounded to the north by the Atlantic Ocean and Nigrán, to the south by Tomiño and Oia, to the east by Gondomar and the river Miñor and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Oia. The municipality has a population of 12,000 in an area of 34.7 km2. It is composed of five parishes: Bain, Baiona, Baredo, Belesar and Sabarís.

The city council of Gondomar is located south of Pontevedra. Along with Nigrán and Baiona, it is part of the region of Val Miñor. It has a population of 13,800 inhabitants in an area of 74.5 km2. It is composed of 10 parishes (Borreiros, Chain, Couso, Dona, Gondomar, Manuf, Morgadáns, Peitieiros, Vilaza and Vinci).

The city council of Nigrán is located south of Pontevedra, 10 km from the city of Vigo, and it is part of the region of Val Miñor. It has a population of 18,000 inhabitants in an area of 34.9 km2. It is composed of 7 parishes (Camos, Chandebrito, Nigrán, Panxón, Parada, Priego and San Pedro da Ramallosa).

The city council of Redondela is located southwest of the province of Pontevedra, in the innermost part of the Ria de Vigo. Its fourteen parishes host 30,000 people in an extension of 51.9 km2. It borders on the west with the Atlantic Ocean; on the south with the municipality of Vigo; on the east with Mos and Pazos de Borba and on the north with the municipalities of Soutomaior and Pazos de Borbén.

The city council of Tui, Pontevedra, is located in the eastern part of the region of Baixo Miño, being the most important administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is on the border with Valença do Minho, Portugal, only separated by the river Miño. It has a population of 17,000 inhabitants, divided into 12 parishes.

The municipality of Porriño, in Pontevedra, takes the center of Louriña Valley. It has a population of 17,000 inhabitants. Located between the citys of Vigo, Ponteareas, Mos, Gondomar, Tui and Salceda de Caselas, Porriño is an important link in both industrial and commercial terms. It also has an important natural and cultural heritage.

The city council of Mos, which belongs to Pontevedra, is located in the region of Louriña and it borders north with Redondela and Pazos de Borbén, west with Vigo, south with Porriño and east with Ponteareas. It has a population of 15,000 inhabitants in an area of 52km2. Its privileged location allows you to enjoy the services of big cities with the tranquility of living away from urban stress.

Pontevedra is located in the heart of the Rias Baixas, in the middle of the Atlantic Axis, between the urban centers of Vigo and Vilagarcía. This city has a population of 80,000 inhabitants, being the city of Pontevedra, the first Galician city in population growth (over 1.000 persons per year). Furthermore it presents the younger urban population of Galicia, the rate of urban citizens that less emigrates and the larger urban birthrate.

The Sea General Secretary , under the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, has the skills for planning and implementing several policies: protection and conservation of the sea and the maritime-terrestrial public domain, sustainable use of coastal and natural resources in the marine environment, marine fishing and aquaculture in offshore waters, basic management of the fishing sector, commercialization and transformation of fishing products, and participation in the planning of research policy on fishing and biodiversity of marine ecosystems.