Deputy José Luís Ferreira, of the Parliamentary Group “Os Verdes”, submitted to the Assembly of the Republic a question in which he questions the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning, on the impediment of fishing in the the Algarve coast, in front of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and the Sapal de Castro Marim Natural Reserve, resulting from oil prospecting operations.
It is a situation that, they consider “The Greens”, greatly harms fishermen in the region who are unable to earn their livelihood.
The Greens want to know "why haven't measures been taken demanding from the entities that promote the prohibition of fishing the respective compensatory damages?"
They also question “why was the Union of Fisheries Workers of the South not heard during this process” and “what studies were carried out to safeguard the environmental interests involved”.
The Greens highlight, in their question delivered to the AR, which began on March 5th and will continue until May 19th, the oil prospecting operations on the Algarve coast.
These operations result from a contract signed on October 21, 2011 with the REPSOL/RWE consortium for two locations designated as “Lagosta” and “Lagostim”, with locations opposite the Ria Formosa Natural Park and the Sapal de Castro Marim Natural Reserve .
During the research and due to its technical complexity, fishing is banned in areas of high activity by fishing vessels that capture species with high commercial value such as anglerfish, crayfish, prawn, hake, among others.
Second notice posted in the captaincy, and like the Sul Informação revealed first hand, «Fixed fishing gear, nets, traps, longlines (hook), and respective signal buoys, must be winged and removed, in addition to prohibiting the exercise of trawling during the entire period foreseen for the respective sector».
This notice also states that non-compliance with these determinations constitutes an administrative offense punishable by a fine of 400 to 2.500 euros for a natural person, in the case of a legal person from 2.500 to 30.000 euros.
"We observe the injustice of this determination that prevents fishermen from earning their livelihood and can still be punished with unaffordable fines," underline Os Verdes in their question to the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spatial Planning.
«As this situation is not new in Portugal, we would like to recall that in 2011, starting on July 16 and for 60 days, the fishermen between Nazaré and Vila do Conde suffered serious losses and the Ministry replied that “The Government has not, Legal instruments are currently available for the payment of compensation to those affected by the operation, since the Wage Compensation Fund for Fisheries Professionals exists for well-defined situations that are distinct from those at issue here.””.
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