The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated that the Government of the Azores intends "to seize the experience of Madeira" in the area of aquaculture to implement it in the archipelago, pointing out that the Azores "have great potential" in this area.
 
"We want entrepreneurs to invest in the Azores as well as to bring Azorean entrepreneurs to Madeira so that they may know the model of success [aquaculture] implemented here," Fausto Brito e Abreu said, adding that the "exchange of experience" between both regions in this field is "quite useful."
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea spoke to journalists at the end of a visit to Calheta Mariculture Centre on the island of Madeira, where he became acquainted with the work in fish farming. In this context, the government official stressed that the purpose of his visit to Madeira is to "move forward and implement" the cooperation protocol on fisheries and aquaculture signed during the recent visit of the President of the Government of Madeira at the invitation of the President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro.
 
"The Government has been taking various measures" to promote the industry in the archipelago, said Brito e Abreu.
 
"We have funded a study conducted by the University of the Azores for the mapping of the areas in the archipelago with potential for offshore and onshore installations. Moreover, we have created a package of tax benefits for aquaculture companies wishing to operate the Azores," said the Regional Secretary.
 
Fausto Brito e Abreu also mentioned that entrepreneurs can invest in the Azores in offshore cages like those in Madeira or in the onshore production of fish larvae, stressing that the access to geothermal energy in some places can become a "competitive added value" of the Azores.
 
Besides aquaculture, another "area of interest" is the proximity between both regional governments in the fisheries sector, particularly through the "export" of the Fisheries Observation Programme (POPA) from the Azores to Madeira, which is being implemented in Azorean seiners. According to Brito e Abreu, this "is beneficial for shipowners because tuna [caught] is internationally certified as "dolphin safe" and "friend of the sea."
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea mentioned that the protocol signed between both regional governments intends "that six black scabbard fishing vessels from Madeira fish in the Azores, including Azorean fishers among their crew, hence passing knowledge on this type of fishery, which has little tradition in the Region.