The Regional Director for Fisheries stated Friday on Terceira Island that the implementation of employment contracts in the sector is "an important contribution to the improvement of fishers' income," thus "improving their quality of life."
 
Luís Costa spoke at an information session held under the Awareness Raising Campaign for Improvement of Working Conditions in Fishing, which is being undertaken by the Regional Government, through the Secretariat of the Sea, Science and Technology.
 
This campaign "aims to raise the awareness of the fishing sector for the need to gradually implement employment contracts system in fisheries."
 
"The main purpose of this campaign is to encourage the implementation of employment contracts in fishing, thus contributing to the dignity of fishers," stressed the Regional Director.
 
These information sessions have already taken place on the islands of São Miguel, Faial and Pico. They addressed issues related to the legal scheme on fishing employment contract and the social security contributory scheme applicable to local and coastal fishing professionals and catchers of marine species.
 
Luís Costa pointed out that, with the signing of employment contracts, "we can ensure that fishers covered by the respective insurance will receive a fixed and variable remuneration, duly calculated. Moreover, the government official highlighted "the advantages in terms of limits of work and the right to vocational training, leaves and unemployment benefits."
 
The Regional Director for Fisheries also recalled that "the system based on the distributions of earnings in payments has been in the fishing sector, adding that "the introduction of fishing employment contracts is an old aspiration of fishers, who are also entitled to social benefits."