The Regional Secretariat for the Sea, Science and Technology, after hearing industry partners, has decided to regulate seine fishing in the Azores, a method of tuna fishing that has been widely used in recent years.
 
An ordinance published in the Official Journal today determines the prohibition of seine fishing activities by coastal fishing vessels less than 15 nautical miles offshore as well as by local fishing boats less than six nautical miles offshore and beyond 12 nautical miles offshore. All seine fishing operations have to be duly identified.
 
This method of tuna fishing consists in the finding and aggregation of a tuna shoal around a fishing vessel for a period of time longer than 24 hours.
 
During this period, the vessel moves at a speed less than three knots or is drifting. In some cases, it may operate with the collaboration of other vessels in order to increase the size of the shoal and ensure that it stays in that area, even when one of the vessels leaves the area to unload tuna.
 
This technique is used by larger vessels in locations near the coast, which sometimes prevents smaller vessels from catching tuna as they are unable to fish in more remote areas due to their features.

With this ordinance, the Government of the Azores aims to ensure the planning and monitoring of fishing activities in the areas of operation of several vessels. It does not change any rules on pole and line fishing and handline fishing for tuna and other pelagic species.

 The Regional Government's proposal for the regulation of seine fishing activities was welcomed by the Azores Fisheries Association and by most industry associations. In this regard, the Government took the commitment to assess the results of this ordinance before the beginning of the next tuna fishing season.