The new conditions for the renewal of fishing licenses to be issued starting next year with the aim of ensuring the economic sustainability of the sector will come into effect in the Azores next Wednesday, May 17.
 
The order published today in the Official Journal determines, for purposes of renewal of fishing activity licences, that applicants have to secure the minimum income from their activity in the previous 12 months.
 
This legal document establishes a relation between the economic sustainability of the activity and the regional minimum wage, determining that the renewal of the license is conditioned to a minimum amount of fish unloaded and sold in auction.
 
In the case of local fishing vessels, the license applicant will have to secure a minimum amount of fish unloaded and sold in auction corresponding to 6 and 12 regional minimum wages for vessels up to nine metres and vessels over nine metres, respectively.
 
In the case of coastal fishing vessels with an overall length exceeding 20 metres, applicants are required to secure a minimum amount of fish unloaded and sold in auction equivalent to 100 regional minimum wages.
 
Barnacle catchers must ensure a minimum annual amount equivalent to four regional minimum wages, while algae catchers must ensure a minimum weight of 250 kilograms of drained algae. As for catchers of other species, they are required to secure a minimum amount that corresponds to two regional minimum wages.
 
The licensing of new catchers is further preceded by an opinion of the representative association of the sector on the island in question.
 
For purposes of the renewal of fishing licenses, only the unloading of fish in the Azores are considered, with the exception of vessels exclusively dedicated to tuna fishing with pole-and-line gear. In the latter case, the unloading of fish registered in the Azores and Madeira are taken into consideration.
 
According to the order published today, the licensing of new gear is still conditioned by the state of exploitation of resources, the characteristics of vessels and their area of operation, and the number of fishing gear already licensed for each vessel.
 
The new license renewal criteria for fishing activities were approved by the Fisheries Federation and industry partners.