The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) has awarded ASCH Infrastructures and Services the construction of what will be the new Fish Market at the Port of Algeciras. The action, which has a budget close to 3.5 million euros and a completion period of 18 months, will result in a building with two floors and a footprint of 22.75 by 50.50 meters, with dimensions adapted to operational flows and current regulations. The infrastructure will have a discharge dock 4.5 meters wide and a landing dock for fishing boats measuring 5 meters, which will allow efficient logistical support for the sector.
The new facility will replace the current premises located in the so-called Refrigerated Dock, a building dating back to 1970 that presents both functional and structural problems. The old market, which originally measured 229 meters long by 36 wide, was partially demolished in 2020 to adapt to the new demands of the fishing sector. Once the construction of the new building is completed, the APBA will proceed to the complete demolition of the existing facilities. Last summer, the port authority informed representatives of the fishing industry and the relevant administrations about all the details regarding what will be the fourth market in the history of the Port of Algeciras, an initiative that was very favorably received by the various stakeholders involved.
Regarding the interior layout, the ground floor will house the auction hall, reception and shipping area, box storage area, cold room, ice machine, changing rooms and restrooms, as well as facilities for the veterinary office. The second floor will host the offices and a training room, among other premises, which will provide the complex with adequate administrative and training capacity in accordance with the current demands of the sector.
The president of the APBA, Gerardo Landaluce, has stated that "this new Fish Market is a faithful reflection of the APBA's commitment to the present and future of the fishing sector in Algeciras and Tarifa, which represents an essential part of our tradition and history, and from now on our future."
The design of the building combines tradition and avant-garde, both in the selection of construction materials and in the functionality of its spaces, all in accordance with current regulations. Although the new market will be located on the port side of the fishing dock, its architectural conception has taken into account the proximity to the Maritime Lake, the urban transformation project that the APBA is developing along the coastal façade of Algeciras. In this way, the composition of the new building allows, in addition to meeting the operational needs of the sector, for the infrastructure to be an element of reference within the port-city interface. Its visibility has been particularly cared for from various points in the environment, especially from the Ribera dock, towards which its main façade is oriented, and from the upper part of the city, through the treatment of the roof as another façade and the integration of solar panels in the skylights to minimize its visual impact.
The demolition of the old market will also open up the possibility of executing the setback towards the fishing dock of the current North-South road that connects the Juan Carlos I Dock with Galera. This action falls within the Hercules Project, a set of interventions aimed at transforming, optimizing and modernizing the roads and operational areas inside the Port of Algeciras, which will lead to a significant improvement in the traffic organization and operability of the port area.
The construction of the new Fish Market thus adds to the various actions that the APBA has been undertaking in recent years for the renewal of its infrastructures, in a context where modernization of the facilities linked to the fishing sector is key to ensuring competitiveness and sustainability of an activity with deep roots in the Bay of Algeciras.