Algarve fishermen will begin testing Covid-19 this week and will also receive personal protective equipment, in order to ensure sanitary safety on board fishing vessels.
José Apolinário, Secretary of State for Fisheries, revealed to the Sul Informação that the tests will be made to "approximately 600 Algarve fishermen who requested them".
This screening, which is carried out “at the request of producer organizations and associations in the fisheries sector”, is addressed to “registered seafarers”. Fishermen will be tested «from Olhão, Quarteira, Portimão, Sagres and Culatra».
The tests will start in Portimão, at a time when many shipowners are finalizing preparations for the sardine campaign, which starts on June 1, as revealed to our newspaper Miguel Cardoso, president of OlhãoPesca, one of the Producers' Organizations (OP ) of the Algarve.
«We have already been contacted and we know that they will start in Portimão. We have two boats there and they asked us for the shipowners' contacts to carry out the tests», he said.
According to the same official, “a list of vessels and professionals to carry out the tests was sent to the Secretary of State for Fisheries, which included around 365 fishermen. But, probably, not everyone will take tests, it is not mandatory». This concerns only this OP.
«It is essentially the boats that are now going to start working, namely those for seine fishing and a bottom trawl boat. Those that were already in operation, we do not include", he told the Sul Informação Michael Cardoso.
After all, “until now, fortunately, there has been no news of any case among the fishing community, even at national level. There was a suspect in Póvoa do Varzim, a man who had a fever. Examination was carried out but not confirmed».
This despite the fact that the fishing sector was one of those that never stopped its activity, “although some shipowners have chosen to stop at that most critical moment, the state of emergency, out of fear. But it was only a week or two, then things started to return to normal».
"I even think that this situation of not having any fisherman infected is a case study," said Miguel Cardoso.
Regardless of whether the fishing industry is, until you see, covid-free, there were shipowners who expressed their concern, and the Government took steps to make the tests a reality. In the Algarve, «everything is in progress, in collaboration with the Secretary of State and the Algarve Biomedical Center».
In addition to the tests, the office headed by José Apolinário will also arrange for the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), "whether visors or masks," as the Government member told our newspaper.
And, since we are talking about fishermen, more than give the cane, the secretary of state will teach professionals how to use it.
«We are going to develop awareness-raising actions for the good use of PPE in Sagres, Portimão, Quarteira and Olhão. These sessions should start in early June», said José Apolinário.
The sensitization actions will be "carried out by elements of the Armed Forces and addressed to the masters of the vessels, similarly to what was done in schools".
This operation will be paid for, in large part, by funds from the European Union.
«Producer associations, including OlhãoPesca, submitted applications and will receive 65% of the value of the tests, through the Operational Program Mar2020. The rest, we still don't know exactly how it will be paid, but there is the availability of Docapesca here and of the Chambers», explained Miguel Cardoso.
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