Outermost Regions, which include the Azores sea, are virtually the only areas in EU territory where some tuna species are captured, bring added value to the Community space.

The fact was recalled by the Under Secretary of Fishing who spoke on behalf of the President of the Government, Carlos César, at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Association of Tuna Producers and Similar Species (APASA) that took place on Wednesday night. The event is part of the 12th Fishers' Week taking place on Terceira.

According to Marcelo Pamplona, "tuna fishing in European waters only represent a very small quantity of the catches made by Community fleets." The majority of fishing operations take place "on the high seas, far from European waters, or in the coastal waters of third countries."

Therefore, "the tuna industry in the Azores has an importance that goes beyond its regional dimension since it contributes to the supply of the Community market with a product from a maritime area belonging to the European Union."

Mentioning the solid canning industry in the Azores, the government official reminded that this industry was born from the fact that, with few exceptions, only three tuna species are caught in the Azores - albacore tuna, bigeye tuna and bonito; the latter is caught in larger quantities.

"In fact, due to the large quantities of bonito caught in the Azores sea - with a reduced market for fresh and frozen bonito - the fish-related industries established in the Region are based on the canning industry," representing an important area of regional exports.

"In these circumstances, our canning industry, which consists of four companies based on four islands, plays a central role in the marketing of regional fish products, in addition to being socially and economically relevant in the regional context," stressed Marcelo Pamplona.

The government official defended that "the coordination between the fishing industry and the Azorean fleet is crucial for the proper operation of the sector. Thus, APASA should try finding a solution that benefits both sectors - production and industry."

With the growing value of albacore tuna and bigeye tuna species in the marketing of fresh and frozen fish, " it is also important that APASA continues to promote negotiations between trading companies that wish to supply in the Azores with the purpose of ensuring price stability and the fair price to be paid to Azorean fishers,” stressed the Regional Under Secretary.

 Marcelo Pamplona also underlined the ecological and promotional importance of fishing techniques, such as the pole-and-line fishing used in the Azores, "being a highly selective technique that avoids killing dolphins."

Therefore, the Regional Government, in partnership with the "Earth Island Institute", the canning industry, APASA and the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, has began the Azores Fisheries Observer Programme, also designated as POPA, 14 years ago. This initiative aims to monitor catches made by our tuna fleet, ensuring that no dolphin is captured."

Following the implementation of this strategic project, the Azorean tuna fleet has been distinguished with the "Dolphin Safe" award which "was also extended to our industry," recalled the government official.

Given the relevance of this economic activity in the Azores, the Regional Under Secretary concluded that "the Government must maintain the support framework for tuna fishing. The growth strategy for this area requires a continuous investment in order to improve the competitiveness and productivity of all operators in this sector in conjunction with their representative associations." In this context, it is also important to emphasise the role played by APASA as a "fundamental institution for acknowledging the economic and social value of the regional fisheries sector."