The Regional Secretary for Sea, Science and Technology announced in Ponta Delgada the launch of another application to support scientific research projects under the Strategy for Research and Innovation for Smart Specialisation (RIS3); the sea and fisheries are one of the three priority axes.
 
Gui Menezes said this application is similar to the one launched in 2015, amounting to almost three million Euros. It approved a total of 22 projects, seven of which focus on sea and fisheries.
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea spoke at the presentation of the seventh edition of "HELM - PwC Economy of the Sea Barometer" and the third edition of "HELM Zoom Azores," also announcing that the Regional Government aims to develop a Sea cluster under the RIS3 strategy.
 
In this regard, he stressed the need "for cooperation between companies, universities, public authorities and the regional business associations. During this term, the Government "will be release an incubator related to maritime economy in order to support the emergence of new initiatives and innovative business in this area.”
 
In his speech, the Secretary for Science folder stressed that "the Azores have a scientific community linked to the sea that is recognised for its excellence." The government official emphasised that the "scientific innovative projects" implemented in the Region in several areas "contribute to an in-depth knowledge on the Azores Sea, playing a key in supporting political decisions."
 
Gui Menezes defended that the economic exploitation of marine resources and the development of maritime tourism in the Azores "should continue to be carried out in a sustainable manner, based on environmental conservation, heritage and local culture."
 
In this regard, he pointed out several management measures for fisheries resources, including the new quarterly management model for the red bream quota and the increase in the minimum catch size for this species, which is now at 33 centimetres. These measures had the approval of industry partners.
 
In the area of fisheries, the government official also stressed that, while the management of tuna is carried out internationally, the Government of the Azores "will not cease to fight for management measures to be taken" so that tuna fishing and the regional canning industry "may continue providing a significant to the economic and social cohesion" of the archipelago.
 
"Together with the National Government, we intend to continue demanding the reduction of tuna aggregating devices and the opening of free migration corridors free of aggregating devices," said the government official.
 
Gui Menezes also recalled various ongoing monitoring programmes, such as the demersal cruise or the Azores Fisheries Observation Programme (POPA), as "important tools for the study and management of fishing resources." In this regard, he added that the Government "will launch a new programme for the monitoring of coastal habitats and resources."
 
Still in the area of fisheries, the government official stated that this sector represented in 2016 nearly 26 million Euros in fish unloaded at auction. He stressed that "despite the decrease in unloaded fish, mainly due to lack of tuna, the average price of fish at first sales increased from 2.44 Euros/kg in 2013 to 4.17 Euros/kg in 2016."
 
Gui Menezes also stressed in his speech the investment in new areas with potential in the Azores, such as aquaculture. As he mentioned, "there are already three projects that have applied to pre-defined areas for aquaculture production created by the Government of the Azores."
 
"The Region has provided support to aquaculture in the amount of 4.8 million Euros," the government official said, stressing that "this is the evidence that the Government wants to focus on stimulating new areas in the maritime economy."
 
In this context, he mentioned that, during this term, the Government will also create an Experimental Centre of Aquaculture, which can be used by the scientific community and companies "in an interaction that will be beneficial to the sector."
 
Gui Menezes even made a reference to the Azores Maritime School, under construction on the island of Faial. It "is intended to encompass traditional activities and the emerging economy of the sea," adding that it could have "have synergies with the future AIR Centre and the Ocean Observation Centre."
 
The Regional Secretary assured that the Regional Strategy for the Sea and the Azores Maritime Spatial Plan (POEM).
 
HELM - PwC Economy of the Sea Barometer" is a publication of data on the development of maritime economy in Portugal. This year, for the third time, it issued a reprint dedicated to the trends of variables in the maritime economy in the Region - "HELM Zoom Azores."