The Regional Government will invest one million and one hundred thousand Euros in the improvement of the operating conditions of Porto Judeu fishing port.

This morning, the Vice-President of the Government presided over the ceremony of laying the first stone of the contract work that will "place once again the village of Porto Judeu in the Azores maritime route."

Sérgio Ávila said that these works "will implement another support infrastructure for the local fishing community, improving the access to some fishing areas on the coast of Terceira to traditional small fishing fleets. Moreover, the interventions will foster maritime activities in the area of tourism, leisure and sport, which will boost the visibility and development of the village of Porto Judeu.

According to the government official, this is "a structural investment for the development of the fishing community of Porto Judeu, being also an infrastructure that encourages the development of new economic activities and job creation in this village."

The works that started today includes the construction of a 44 metres long and 10 metres wide pier breakwater, perpendicular to the existing pier, which includes a 25 metre area for mooring vessels. A platform, protected from the sea, will be also installed to connect both banks of the port, hence improving the access to the coastal areas of this village.

The expansion works will not only "ensure the best operating and safety conditions for all those using this port infrastructure in their professional or recreational activity, but also allow this village to reinforce its historical ties to the sea," said the government official.

Sérgio Ávila recalled that "in recent years, the Government has made considerable investments in public infrastructures to the maritime sector in our Region so that we may be able to recover from the structural underdevelopment of an entire sector that had been left in poor condition."  

The Vice-President stressed that "the renewal of the regional network of ports we have carried out is visible." Currently, the Azores are provided with a "port network with a level of quality that has nothing to do with what we inherited and it has strengthened the role played by the Azores in the context of the Atlantic Ocean."

According to Sérgio Ávila, the investment effort undertaken by the Azorean Government in support infrastructures and equipments for the maritime sector is the "result of a political will that aims to enhance the sea that surrounds us, being a fundamental pillar for the creation of our development strategy."
 
The Vice-President recalled that the Government fostered the renewal of the fishing fleet on the island of Terceira and across the archipelago by creating the conditions to "substantially a fishing fleet that acknowledges the important role of fishers and ensures a significant increase in their income.”

With regard to fishing infrastructures, Sérgio Ávila recalled the investment in the expansion works of the fishing ports of São Mateus, Biscoitos, Vila Nova, São Fernando-Porto Martins, which have now become "dynamic hubs in the development of several maritime activities." The construction of two breakwaters at the entrance of the Praia da Vitória fisheries centre to improve to shelter conditions in any wind or sea condition was another intervention mentioned by the Vice-President.

Furthermore, the government official mentioned the investment made in the construction and renewal of 137 houses for fishing gear and the construction of two workshops to support shipbuilding/repair of traditional vessels. The construction of a workshop with larger capacity for coastal vessels is currently undergoing in Praia da Vitória.

The intervention also included the installation of modern cranes with capacity between 10 and 16 tonnes in five ports to ensure safety of vessel hauling operations and the installation of a beaching dock at the Mateus port.
 
In addition to these investments, the Government of the Azores has installed cold storage equipments in regional ports in order to ensure the adequate conditions for fish preservation and enhance the quality of the fish caught in regional waters.  

Sergio Ávila also announced the installation of new beaching dock at the Praia fisheries centre

All these works represented an investment of over 15.5 million Euros on the island of Terceira in the last four years.

This fact is "even more relevant when there is a drastic reduction in public investment in the country and across Europe” concluded the government official.