The Azorean Fisheries Federation (FPA) alerted the government to the 19% reduction in funding for the sector since 2021. It warned the regional government that it will not allow more cuts in the 2024 budget.

“We’re calling the government’s attention to the fact that we can’t allow any more budget cuts in the fisheries sector for 2024. We hope they take this into account so that, once and for all, fishing in the Azores is seen differently,” the FPA leader told Lusa.

Gualberto Rita spoke after a meeting with the President of the Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) regarding the draft Regional Plan and Budget for 2024, held in Horta.

The federative leader recalled that 2021, the region allocated 41.7 million euros to fisheries, which fell in 2022 (38.7 million) and 2023 (33.7 million).

“Since 2021, fisheries have suffered budget cuts. Compared to 2021 and 2023, we are already seeing cuts of around 19%, of around eight million euros. These are amounts that are sorely needed by the fishing sector in the Azores,” he stressed.

The president of the FPA warned of the “constraints” experienced in the sector, such as the “limitation of quotas in various species” and the lack of a framework for support from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEAMPA) for the region’s fleet.

Gualberto Rita revealed that fishermen and shipowners still haven’t received the funds from the Program of Specific Options for Dealing with Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI) for 2021 and 2022.

“We are two years behind with POSEI (…). In addition, the Recovery and Resilience Plan for fisheries was null and void. There was no money at all. We had no access to support for energy costs, unlike our colleagues in Madeira and the mainland,” he said.

The head of the FPA considered that implementing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in 30% of the Azorean Sea by the end of the year will “significantly reduce fishermen’s incomes.”

“We hope that the government is sensitive to the demands of fisheries in the Azores because we believe this could jeopardize the sector’s future. In general, the regional government has been too ambitious,” he said, calling for the creation of the MPAs not to be done “in haste.”

On August 29, the Azorean Fisheries Federation called for the deadline for reforming the archipelago’s Marine Park and network of Marine Protected Areas to be extended because the “needs, suggestions and changes proposed by the sector” had not been considered.

The 2024 budget will be the first to be voted on after IL, and the independent MP denounced the written agreements that supported the Regional Government.

The three parties comprising the Regional Government (PSD, CDS-PP, and PPM) have 26 deputies in the Legislative Assembly. With the support of the Chega deputy, they have 27 seats, which is not enough for a majority.

The Legislative Assembly of the Azores is made up of 57 deputies and, in the current legislature, 25 are from the PS (center-left), 21 from the PSD (center-right), three from the CDS-PP (right), two from the PPM (monarchists), two from the BE (left), one from the Liberal Initiative (right), one from the PAN (animal rights), one from Chega (extreme right) and one deputy is independent (originally elected by Chega).

in Açoriano Oriental, Paulo Simões-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.