As of tomorrow, at noon, the shipowners of Barlapescas (Portimão) will be prevented from fishing for sardines due to the exhaustion of the quota. In Olhão (Olhãopesca), the quota will also run out in the coming days.
Jorge Vairinhos, from Barlapescas, advanced the Sul Informação that "the boats are still going to leave tonight, but sardine fishing is banned from tomorrow at noon", since the quota of around 700 tons has been exhausted.
According to the shipowner, the situation “doesn't make sense”. For Vairinhos, «the tutelage did not know how to manage the Iberian quota. The state had to know how to manage better at the national level. There are boats in other ports that can pick up 9 tons and I can only pick up two. We pay the same taxes and there are differences in what each one can get, but the needs are the same».
The ordinance published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries this week, which provides compensation of between 20 and 27 euros to fishermen for each day they are idle, “is very welcome, but it is for three months, when we are nine months off, because we're only going to start over in June. What are we going to do with the other six?” he asks.
Miguel Cardoso, from Olhãopesca, confirmed that, further to Sotavento, the situation is similar: «we are about to close. One, two, or three more days and we'll close the campaign. It was predictable, despite all the effort we made to manage the quota we had [436 tonnes between June and 31 October], that by the end of August we would have to stop».
Olhãopesca shipowners could fish 2000 kg per day for larger vessels and 1400 kg for smaller ones, both of which stopped three days a week.
The losers from this stoppage of the Algarve trawlers are not only the shipowners, but the consumers also have a lot to lose, according to Miguel Cardoso.
«When we exhaust the quota, sardines in the Algarve will come, first, from other parts of the country, still with a quota, such as Costa Vicentina and Sesimbra, but then it comes from Spain and Morocco, frozen, and with much lower quality». explains.
Possible reduction of the quota by 90% in 2016 worries even more shipowners
If in 2015 the fishing sector “has reached its limit”, 2016 could be even worse. The opinion of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) recommended that the total allowable catch of sardines in Iberian waters should not exceed 1587 tons, 90% less than in 2015.
Although this is only an opinion, shipowners fear that it could be adopted and have already called a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
“More than what we did this year we cannot do. We can't take any more sacrifices. According to IPMA, this year's resource recovered as a result of this effort and we think we deserve a reward. At least that they do not reduce the quotas more than in 2015, "said Miguel Cardoso to Sul Informação.
For the head of Olhãopesca, «it is not only fishing that is at risk, it is the entire value chain, as well as the surrounding industry, namely canning and ice. We understand that there is a problem with the resource, which is not related to overexploitation, it is natural, but we cannot do more».
The view is shared by Jorge Vairinhos: «if there is this 90% reduction, it is not even worth going to sea and training crews!»
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