The Regional Secretariat for the Sea, Science and Technology, after hearing industry partners, has decided to introduce a ban on the fishing of red seabream in the Azores for a period of 15 days.

A decree published today in the Official Journal establishes the ban period for red seabream fishing between July 15 and 31.

The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology said this is "a measure to efficiently manage the red seabream quota," emphasising that "July is one of the months when red seabream has a lower value at fish markets."

The temporary ban on red seabream fishing if the catches assessed by June 15 exceeded 65% of the available quota had already been discussed at the meeting of the Regional Fisheries Council held on 30 April. So far, more than 460 tonnes of sea bream have been caught in the Azores Sea, which represents to 68% of the regional quota for this species.

"If the Region exhausts the fishing opportunities before the months of November and December, when the price of red bream tends to be higher, fishers may suffer loss of income," said Fausto Brito e Abreu.

The Regional Secretary for the Sea also stated that "in light of changes in catches until mid-September, we will consider the need for a similar 15-day break during the month of October."

The decree published today follows various measures implemented by the Government of the Azores in order to value Azorean fish. It also contributes to the conservation of species and, simultaneously, the increase of fishers' income.