The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology welcomed the recommendation for an 11% increase in the red seabream quota in the Azores, as part of the European Commission's proposals for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas for deep-sea species in Atlantic North.
 
Gui Menezes pointed out that this "is a claim" of the Regional Government, which had proposed a 10% increase in red seabream catches in the Region under the public consultation processes conducted by the European Commission.
 
"The new scientific data evidence the recovery of red seabream, pointing to an increase in the relative abundance of this species in the archipelago," said the government official.
 
Gui Menezes defended that the management measures implemented for the recovery of this resource "have yield positive results." However, "these processes take time and quota increases have to be gradual and scientifically founded."
 
The government official also welcomed the fact that there is a proposal eliminating the TAC for greater forkbeard, "given the low volume of catches and for being considered a bycatch in demersal fishing."
 
The Secretary for Fisheries considered, however, that the reduction in the "Beryxs" quota (alfonsino and splendid alfonsino), as proposed by the European Commission, is excessive. In this context, he reminded that the national quota stipulated for these species in 2017 was distributed across Mainland Portugal and the Azores, which "allowed the Region to manage its quota internally."
 
Since the end of last year, the Azores have been regulating the catches made under the regional "Beryxs" quota, which represents 85% of the total national quota, Gui Menezes said, stressing that the implemented measures "have yield positive results."
 
"This year, 139 tonnes of splendid alfonsino and alfonsino have already been caught to date, generating 1.4 million Euros; the quota for these species had been prematurely closed eight years ago," stated the government official.
 
Gui Menezes also added that "the implemented management model aims to ensure fisheries until the end of the year and generate a higher income compared to previous years."
 
In this context, the Azorean Government defends that a 10% increase in fishing opportunities should be considered for these species, as proposed to the European Commission in the context of public consultation processes.
 
The proposals presented by the European Commission will be discussed at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Union to be held in Brussels on November 19, which will be attended by the Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology.