Sovhispan: a collaboration model between Spain and the USSR in the Canary Islands (1967-1991)

Abstract

The article contributes to the study of the Sovhispan joint venture, created in the Canary Islands in 1971, with Soviet and Spanish capital (public and private one), in a bilateral political framework devoid of diplomatic relations. Sovhispan was dedicated to the provision of victualling services to the Soviet fishing vessels that arrived in the Canary Islands ports, from the late 1960’s to 1991. In the first place, Sovhispan was the most suitable formula for collaboration between both countries, especially before the mutual diplomatic recognition in 1977. Secondly, it can be considered a model of a mixed Soviet company created overseas, both to obtain Western technology and to access the fishing resources of third countries. Finally, the arrival of the Soviet fishing fleet, one of the most powerful in the world, coincided with the attempts to industrialize the archipelago and positively influenced the economic development of the Canary Islands.