The Association of Tuna and Similar Producers (APASA) held its General Assembly this week in Ponta Delgada, bringing together the owners of the Portuguese tuna fleet, the only one that operates exclusively with the selective and sustainable pole-and-line method.

“This historic fleet has been a fundamental pillar for exports and for the livelihood of countless Azorean families,” the note reads.

According to the statement, despite the statutory nature of the meeting, the Assembly was marked by strong concern and indignation among professionals in the sector in the face of the “unprecedented attack that the Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretary for the Sea and his team, is conducting against the entire fishing industry.”

Among the contested measures are the imposition of the highest fish market fees in the country and possibly in Europe, which should concern stakeholders about economic fairness and competitiveness; the cutting of protocols with industry associations, putting essential services at risk; the end of fisheries certification and monitoring programs; and the total absence of strategy and appreciation of an “activity that is central to the Azorean identity and the economic development of the Region.”

In view of this situation, the General Assembly decided to immediately hire specialized legal support to defend APASA and the entire sector, as well as to mandate the Board to firmly oppose the measures underway and to proceed with all forms of public demonstration deemed necessary.

APASA “deeply regrets” that the current Regional Government is implementing “decisions that are putting the Azorean tuna sector on the path to bankruptcy, while seeking to sustain Lotaçor, a company weakened by mismanagement and successive public disinvestment.”

The Association also stresses that it will continue to defend, without hesitation, an activity that “has guaranteed employment, identity, and wealth for the Azores for centuries.”

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.