In a message addressed at the Graciosa fishers as well as at the remaining Azorean fishers, the President of the Government urged them “to innovate in their extractive activities so that they may extend fishing activities not only to the traditional demersal species, but also to species such as tuna, swordfish, squid, deep-water crab, black scabbard, among others.”

For Carlos César, “by promoting the exploitation of other species in the Azores sea with commercial potential, fishers will be able to ensure greater economic stability which will allow them to manage the fluctuations of the stocks that have traditionally conditioned their activity.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new fish market of the Praia da Graciosa port, the President of the Government mentioned the Government’s priority concerning the professional enhancement of fishers, stating that the number of decentralised training courses has been reinforced with timetables adjusted to needs of fishers on each island.

As Carlos César stressed, this is a means of updating the knowledge of fishers without jeopardising the income earned from daily operations, but “in order to improve the fishing economy and, in addition to increasing competition in the marketing sector, we must take action to better protect our resources.”

According to Carlos César, the Government’s action is focused on two fronts and, at a regional level, it seeks to gradually introduce more fisheries planning mechanisms with the purpose of safeguarding the protection of the areas located up to six miles off the coast of each island.

“In this context, we intend that their stocks remain primarily reserved for the fishing communities that cannot fish in other maritime areas beyond the proximity of their islands,” stated Carlos César.

At a European level, the main concern is to continue the defend the Exclusive Economic Zone by “pressuring European entities to ensure the Region’s entitlement to a protected area in the regulations on the revision of the common fisheries policy in accordance with the biological capacity of our waters and the need to ensure economic and social sustainability of our fishing communities.”

The aim is “to expand our protection area  under the technical regulations that will manage the various fishing operations carried out by European fleets.”

The new fish market of the Praia da Graciosa port, opened on Thursday, will expand the storage capacity of frozen fish from 3 to 7 tonnes, the fish refrigeration capacity from 6 to 14 tonnes and the ice storage capacity from 4 to 9 tonnes.

In addition to this infrastructure, which represented a total investment of nearly one million and one hundred thousand Euros, the Government has already installed other modern equipments, such as a travel-lift that will enable, without any constraint, the beaching operations of all vessels that make the Graciosa fishing fleet.

On the other hand, the Government is also committed in improving the shelter conditions of the port area, having already launched the public call for tender for the contract work to improve the roughness conditions in the port basin, allowing vessels to be permanently moored in the parking space.
 
As Carlos César stressed, “the Government has undertaken a great effort to ensure the necessary conditions for improving the catches and the export sector as well. We will continue to do so in the acknowledgment of the industriousness of this productive community. The Azores need their fishers and they need the support from all of us.