The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated that the Azorean Government "is against" the proposal submitted in Brussels by the EU Commission establishing the red seabream quotas for the regional fleet in the biennium 2017/2018.
 
In a statement issued after the meeting held today by the College of Commissioners, the EU Commission recommends to the Fisheries Council a 12% reduction in the red seabream quota allocated to the Azores next year and a further 12% in 2018, compared to the quota set for 2016.
 
Fausto Brito e Abreu stated that the "Azorean and Portuguese Governments strongly oppose this proposal," emphasising that the Azorean Government "has been defending, together with fishing associations, the maintenance of the red seabream quota for the Region at 507 tonnes, at least, in order to safeguard the interests of Azorean fishers.
 
The Regional Secretary stressed that this proposal appears to be solely based on the recommendations issued by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which "only takes into account biological aspects." However, it fails to consider other aspects "of utmost importance, such as the socio-economic impact that this drastic reduction will have in the Azores."
 
Brito e Abreu recalled that the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, in force since 2013, is based on three pillars: the biological, the environmental and the socio-economic. The government official added that the "socio-economic pillar has not been adequately covered in the proposal submitted by the European Commission, but will have to be considered when the Fisheries Council will make a decision."
 
In this regard, the Regional Secretary stressed that the Government of the Azores has already submitted to the National Government and the EU Commission a document on the socio-economic impact of the cuts on the red seabream quota in the Region. It will have to be considered by the EU Commission and Member States at the Fisheries Council to take place in November. The Regional Government will be part of the national delegation.
 
Moreover, the government official mentioned that the preliminary data from the scientific cruise on demersal species, conducted this year, "reveal increased abundance of red seabream in almost all sampling areas that cover the nine islands of the archipelago, which will help in these negotiations."
 
Under the European Union public consultation process on fishing opportunities for 2017, the Regional Government refuted in September the proposal for the reduction of the red seabream quota, defending that it has implemented in the Region a series of important measures to ensure the sustainability of red seabream fishing.
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea also considered that the 6% reduction in the alfonsino and splendid alfonsino quota, as proposed by the European Commission, is "unacceptable, " stressing that the Regional Government defends an increase of 10% in that quota, given the positive indicators of greater abundance."