The President of the Government announced that an ordinance was published today allowing Azorean fishers to submit their applications to POSEI-Fisheries, which will result in the allocation of 8.8 million Euros concerning the 2014 and 2015 payments, following the delayed approval of this programme by the European Commission.
 
"The Ordinance establishing the possibility of submitting applications was published today. There is now a short training course for associations to help fishers filling in these applications. It will allow fishers to recover funds allocated for 2014 and 2015, which have yet to be paid due to the delayed approval of the European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries" (EMFF), said Vasco Cordeiro.
 
The President of the Government spoke to journalists after the meeting with the Association of Traditional Fishing Shipowners as well as with several fishers under the Regional Government's statutory visit to the island of Pico.
 
According to Vasco Cordeiro, after overcoming the delayed regulation of EMFF, a responsibility assigned to European institutions, POSEI-Fisheries has now entered into cruise speed," which will allow the injection of 8.8 million Euros in the sector as a result of these POSEI payments for 2014 and 2015.
 
It should be noted that we have managed to negotiate an increase over 50% of the annual enveloped allocated under POSEI-Fisheries to the Azores, which grew from 2.9 million Euros a year in 2007-2013 to nearly 4.4 million Euros in the period 2014-2020.
 
Overall, the sector will benefit from a budget of around 30.7 million Euros in the period 2014-2020 that is fully intended to offset the additional costs of this activity.
 
After meeting with the Pico fishers, Vasco Cordeiro stressed that the meeting also analysed other matters related to investments in infrastructures and the income of industry professionals.
 
"In some cases, we were able to clarify certain situations, while others will be further analysed. There were also other cases where it was not possible to implement interventions which, despite being requested, should comply with the establishment of priorities for public investment," said the President of the Government.
 
"This meeting was held due to the need to hear, discuss and accept claims," Vasco Cordeiro assured, pointing out the example of the crane of Madalena fisheries port in which the Government is available to safeguard aspects that were not originally planned.
 
As for the construction of fishing gear houses in São Roque do Pico port, one of the claims defended at the meeting, the President of the Government announced that the tender for the selection of the company to carry out the contract work will proceed immediately.