The Regional Secretariat for the Sea, Science and Technology, through the Regional Directorate for Fisheries, promotes the organisation of the International Forum on Azores Fisheries in Horta between June 6 and 9. The event will address the sustainability and challenges of the sector for the future.
 
For the Regional Director of Fisheries, this initiative is "an opportunity for policy makers, the scientific community, industry partners and fishers to discuss the present and the future of fisheries."
 
The International Forum on Azores Fisheries, which will include about forty presentations, will be attended by one hundred participants from Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Belgium and the United States of America.
 
Luis Costa said that this forum has "a diversified programme" that will address the issues concerning the evaluation of marine resources, monitoring of fisheries programmes in the Azores, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the role of the Advisory Councils, the conservation of marine biodiversity and fisheries, bycatch, the importance of the associations and aquaculture, among others.
 
"The goal of this forum is focused on the production of conclusions that support the decision-making process for the future of the fisheries sector in the Azores," the Regional Director said, adding that this forum "aims to discuss the most pressing issues related to the new challenges posed by the Common Fisheries Policy and the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund."
 
This forum will be attended by several regional, national and international organisations: the Regional Directorates for Fishing of the Azores and Madeira; the Regional Inspectorate of Fisheries of the Azores; Lotaçor; the Society for Business Development of the Azores; the Regional Directorate for Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services; the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute, through the Fish Farming Pilot Station in Olhão; the Azores Fisheries Federation; the Pão-do-Mar Association and the associations representing the fisheries sector on all islands of the Azores.
 
The following entities will also be present at the event: the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Friend of the Sea, Fishfix, advisory body for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices, the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries and the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources of the University of the Azores and the University of Rhode Island, USA. The companies Oceanic Motion, Findfresh, Rufrimar, Insco and Tunipex.