The Government of the Azores has decided to temporarily forbid the practice of fishing on the Condor bank except in authorised cases.

This decision is part of an ordinance of the Regional Under Secretary of Fishing, published in the Official Journal on Friday, and is justified by the need to ensure the full implementation of the project “Observatory for the long-term study and monitoring of ecosystems and seamounts in the Azores – CONDOR.”

Under that multidisciplinary project, which is coordinated by the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries of the University of the Azores, a scientific station for permanent observation will be installed on the Condor bank, being considered “relevant to the knowledge about that marine area.”

The new access rules for the practice of fishing on the Condor bank comprise commercial and recreational fishing, tourist fishing and tourism-fishing, and will be in force from June 1, 2010 and April 30, 2012.

According to the same ordinance, no vessel on the Condor bank is allowed to have fishing gear other than troll gear, pole-and-line gear and fishing rod on board or at sea. In addition, no vessel is allowed to catch, retain on board or transfer fish species that are not pelagic.

In order to monitor the development of the CONDOR project, a working group was appointed by order of the Under Secretary of Fishing, which will meet bimonthly. This group is composed by representatives of the Regional Government in charge of fisheries, the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, and the associations representing the fishing fleet.

With regard to these regulations, the dissemination of the CONDOR project among the fishing communities on all islands of the Region will be carried out by the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries and its implementation will be monitored by the Regional Inspectorate of Fisheries, the maritime authority and the reaming authorities under the terms of legislation in force.

For the Government, the CONDOR project, given its innovative and multidisciplinary approach, may contribute to “enhance the current knowledge about the ecosystem of the banks and seamounts of the Region.”

The Government also considers that “ensuring the preservation of the marine environment of the Azores and the sustainable exploitation of its resources for the forthcoming generations” has a “public” and “strategic” interest for the Region.

In addition to being areas that hold a considerable number of species with a high commercial interest, the banks and seamounts support also a high biodiversity.

These structures, which are fundamental for fishing, are common in the Azorean sea; 63 large seamounts have been identified as well as 398 small seamounts or similar structures.