The Regional Director for Fisheries stated in Rabo de Peixe that the Regional Government has directed its fisheries policies towards the "increase of the value of fish," noting that this is "a determining factor in the improvement of fishers' income."
 
Luís Costa defended that "the way fishers handle, load and preserve fish on board" is a "major factor" in increasing the value of fish."
 
"Good practices contribute to the maintenance of the same degree of freshness and quality of fish from the moment it is caught to the time it is sold to the final consumer," said the Regional Director. He spoke Thursday at the presentation of video to fisher about the importance of proper handling and packaging fish on board vessels, an initiative that marked the World Day of the Sea on São Miguel.
 
"Today, we can say the strategy developed by the Government of the Azores, in partnership with the sector, has borne fruit," said the government official. According to him, there has been "an effective increase in the average price of fish sold at auction, which increased 67% in last four years, from 2.86 Euros in 2012 to 4.23 Euros in 2016."
 
"The most important is that every cent and every Euro earned by fishers be a fair compensation for their hard work," the Regional Director said, stressing that fishing professionals should regard their vessels "as companies."
 
In his speech, the Regional Director for Fisheries also stressed the importance of diversifying fisheries as "a way to boost fishers' income and contribute to the sustainability of resources."
 
"The greater the number of different species that we place in the market and the more species we bring to final consumers, the higher the income fishers will generate from their activity," said the government official.
 
Luís Costa also noted that the Government reopened Ordinance 74 to support the regional fishing. This measure is aimed at "improvement of vessels by providing them with better safety and working conditions and optimising fish conservation on board." The government official added that it is "an important contribution to the shipbuilding industry.”
 
This event held in Rabo de Peixe was attended by the chef Rui Malato, who addressed the importance of fish handling for its appreciation among catering professionals. He also defended that Azorean fishers should redirect their fishing activities to species with less commercial value, whose value has been rising in the market namely due to gastronomic innovations.
 
The video on the handling and storage of fish on board vessels will be part of the training courses for fishers that are taught by the Regional Directorate for Fisheries on all the islands of the archipelago. It is available at the address: https://youtu.be/4POS9JdvD6Q.