The Government of the Azores has created a working group that will outline structural measures to proceed with the restructuring of Fisheries in order to improve the income of professional fishers and adapt the fishing effort to the resources available in the Region.
 
The establishment of this working group was announced by President of the Government in the end of February, after receiving the Azores Fisheries Federation.
 
At the time, Vasco Cordeiro added that, in addition to the adoption of short-term measures, a more structural intervention would be necessary in order to improve the income situation of professionals in this sector. In this regard, the Government of the Azores has decided to establish this working group with the aim of outlining a solution that will allow the restructuring of the sector.
 
This new restructuring measure, which will be focused on the increase the fishing effort, will require a sort of buy-back scheme that could safeguard the income and sustainability needs, providing fishers with the best conditions to develop their activity.
 
The order signed by Vasco Cordeiro states that the Fisheries sector currently requires a structural intervention that will improve the income situation of industry professionals and adapt the fishing effort to the available marine resources.
 
Accordingly, the Government of the Azores has decided to establish this working group, which includes, in addition to members of the Government, representatives of the regional Fisheries sector and the University of the Azores.
 
This working group consists of the Regional Director for Fisheries, Luís Costa, two representatives of Lotaçor, Rúben Farias and Luís Rodrigues, two representatives of the Azores Fisheries Federation, Gualberto Rita and Lázaro Silva, the researcher at the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries of the University of the Azores, Gui Menezes, and a personality acknowledged merit in the sector, Genuíno Madruga.