Sotavento fishermen want the authorities to carry out “directed inspection” of their Spanish counterparts who have a license to fish in the area between Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira (Torre de Aires).
Olhãopesca – Association of Fisheries Producers of the Algarve guarantees that part of the 32 Spanish vessels that are authorized to fish in Algarve waters, under the Guadiana Border Agreement, commit regular abuses, in terms of quotas and the species caught, without the authorities intervene effectively.
For the president of Olhãopescas Miguel Cardoso, this agreement "has long ceased to bring benefits to us and now only brings problems." «The waters, on the Spanish side, are depleted and overcrowded. The agreement ceased to be of interest to the Algarve about ten years ago», he illustrated.
In Portugal, the situation is quite different, as “there is an effort to preserve on our part”. This is achieved with very well-defined rules, respected by most Portuguese shipowners – who are severely punished if they do not comply – but which the Spaniards often turn a blind eye to, he assured.
Despite admitting that, for Olhãopescas, "the agreement can be terminated today", the association leader even admits its continuity, provided that abuses by fishing professionals in the neighboring country are avoided. “The main flaw is the lack of directed inspection. Conditions must be created to ensure that the technical measures are complied with by the Spaniards», he said.
And it gives practical examples of the kind of abuse that is committed. «In Portugal, the sector associations and the administration reached an agreement and it was legislated that the sardine fishing starts from May 1st. Until then, there is a limit of 150 kilos per day, as it is considered by-catch. But we have reports and they send us photographs, almost every day, of sardines being fished in the Algarve, at auctions on Isla Cristina and Huelva, weighing a thousand or two thousand kilos», he guaranteed.
Miguel Cardoso claims that “everyone knows what is going on”, but that, even so, the inspection is not properly carried out. “It seems that there is fear on the part of the Portuguese authorities in approaching the Spanish vessels. Looks like they don't want to crack the varnish. But then there are abuses», he accused.
“It was enough that a small part of the inspection effort directed to national vessels was also directed to Spanish units”, illustrated, on the other hand, Olhãopesca, in a press release.
The Guadiana Border Agreement has been in force for many years and stipulates that 32 Spanish-flagged fishing vessels come to fish in Portuguese waters daily. 'There are seven fishing vessels per seine gear (capture of sardines, mackerel, horse mackerel), plus 25 fishing units per hooker trawl gear (capture of clam, donkey and white clam), and the aforementioned agreement applies within 12 miles, 15 miles east and west of the border of the river Guadiana, in other words, these boats can fish up to the Torre de Aires meridian, in Portugal”, recalled Olhãopescas.
“Every year, there is a meeting between Portugal and Spain to discuss the terms of the cross-border agreement. And we participate in preparatory meetings, with the administration, where professionals and industry associations are heard. We have been warning about this problem for several years and we said that, by our will, the agreement was extinguished,” said Miguel Cardoso.
The answer they have received is that "this agreement is part of a more extensive protocol, which creates difficulties for its extinction". "If it is not possible to end it, we ask, at least, that no more licenses are granted and, if possible, that they be reduced," said the president of Olhãopescas.
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