Seismic acquisition work, prior to the installation of hydrocarbon exploration concessions off the Algarve, will limit fishing in almost the entire Eastern Algarve, in three alternating sectors, in the next three months. The notice was published by the Captaincy of the Port of Faro at the end of last week and the deadline for removing fishing gear from the first sector ends this Thursday.
In the public notice, the Captaincy alerts to the progress of work «for the seismic acquisition of three-dimensional data in the Algarve basin», in an area that runs from the Ancão Peninsula to almost the limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone of Portugal, on the border with Spain.
Fisheries professionals are required, from the outset, to remove from the sea “fixed fishing gear, nets, traps, longlines and respective signal buoys” and to do so “five days before the start of operations” in this first sector. In other words, all the arts and other material will have to be winged “on March 1, in sector 1”.
Sector 1 goes from the western edge of the land where the operation takes place, in front of the Ancão Peninsula, up to the threading of the Barra de Faro, between Ilha da Barreta, known as Deserta, and Ilha da Culatra, in Faro (see maps at the end).
In addition to having to remove gear and other fixed material, fishing boats will not be able to carry out 'trawling throughout the sector' where operations take place and 'all navigation must protect the towing train, not involving ongoing operations'.
The existence of this notice, dated February 24, was still unknown by two entities representing Algarve fishermen and shipowners until Tuesday, March 27, when the Sul Informação contacted them. But the operation itself was already expected, as it is a repetition of what happened a few months ago in Nazaré, where off-shore oil prospecting has already been granted concessions.
Fishermen regret the lack of publicity for the notice
From the side of the representatives of fishermen and shipowners, the lack of direct disclosure of this type of decision to associations and unions in the sector is criticized at the outset. The president of the Federation of Fishing Associations of the South Zone João Lopes lamented the Sul Informação "may things be done this way", guaranteeing that he has already started to fight for the interests of the fishing professionals of the South.
“We had a meeting with the former Director General for Fisheries, but he is no longer in charge. However, we have already asked for a meeting with the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries, but we have not yet received an answer», he revealed.
João Lopes was not aware of the launch of the notice, but the federation he presides over had already been taking care of the measure, given that the same process had already taken place off Nazaré, for a period of two months.
“The fishermen of Nazaré were given an unrealistic compensation”, he considered, and this only after the professionals had complained. Something that João Lopes wants to avoid in the Algarve, demanding a commitment regarding the compensation to be paid for the forced stop. "Here there will be resistance and demand for solutions," he assured.
Even so, it gives primacy to the way of dialogue. If this fails, "you'll see". “We already know that we are not going to be able to stop the operation, but we are going to claim our rights”, he illustrated.
The leader of the Union of Fisheries Workers of the South Zone, Josué Marques, recalled that the biological stop for crayfish trawling has recently ended and this operation may once again leave the boats on land, with the economic and social damage that this entails.
Josué Marques guaranteed that the union's management will officially pronounce on this issue shortly, after discussing the matter at a meeting.
Operation will be done in three phases
The seismic acquisition that starts on March 5th will be carried out until the next March 30th. This is followed by sector 2, from Ilha da Culatra to and from Tavira, between March 31st and April 25th. The third sector, up to the mouth of the Guadiana, will be drilled between April 26 and May 19.
The work will be carried out by the seismic prospecting vessel “Polarcus Naila”, supported by four other vessels. The work involves the launch of a towed equipment train consisting of 10 submerged cables with sound detectors and buoys at the end, which occupy an area of 8 kilometers in length and 750 meters in width. All vessels must safeguard 2 yards from the tow train.
Failure to comply with the resolutions of the notice entails fines that can reach 2500 euros, in the case of individuals, and 30 euros, for legal persons.
Operation maps:
In order: All intervention area; Sector 1; Sector 2; and Sector 3
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