Portuguese fishermen want to be able to catch more sardines than is currently stipulated, in order to guarantee «the social and economic sustainability of the sector» in 2020, and demand support from the Government that «allows them to overcome the situation created by the current epidemiological crisis» coming State Budget, announced the Federation of Fisheries Sector Unions (FSSP).
The union members went public today "to demonstrate their displeasure with the Government's policies towards workers in the sector", arguing that "the scale of the sacrifices that have been made so far by fishermen cannot be ignored, demanding that are respected and valued'.
With regard to sardine fishing, the federation demands "that the quota for 2020 is 30 thousand tons", arguing that this is a "sustainable" value.
«The FSSP has been warning over time that the resource (sardines) shows a clear recovery, demonstrated both by the scientific cruises carried out, and by the observations and experience of the fishermen themselves. The survey results demonstrate how wrong the government was, imposing restrictions on capture far beyond what would be acceptable, from a perspective of the sustainability of the sardine resource», they argue.
Currently, the quantity of this fish that the 120 boats of the Portuguese siege fleet can catch is 6300 tons. And this already after the sardine quota have been increased by 1300 tons, in relation to what was initially planned.
In a statement to Jornal de Notícias, at the beginning of May, the Secretary of State for Fisheries José Apolinário announced that this increase in the national quota by 1300 tons had already been set by the European Union, adding that Portugal and Spain "requested the revision of scientific advice". , so that the scientific surveys that will take place in June are taken into account, with the possibility, therefore, of the quota to increase even further.
«The Government has not yet defined the quantity that will be fished for the year 2020, which is unacceptable. The proposal to limit the capture of sardines, in the period from June 1st to July 30th, to 6300 tons is insufficient and unrealistic, given the current reality of the sector and the resource», adds the FSSP.
The union federation also spoke of the Wage Compensation Fund which, for being «fed by the sector, it cannot be used in any way, as the Government tried to do in this phase of stoppage of vessels».
«The government's propaganda is abusive, trying to give the impression that it is allocating State Budget funds to support fishermen. In fact, as it follows from the law in force, the income of the Salary Compensation Fund, comes from: – 60% of the proceeds of the fines applicable for the practice of infractions to the general fishing regime; – Fees and annual licensing for the exercise of fishing and use of gear; – Donations, inheritances or legacies; – Transfers from the State Budget; – Management balances», he adds.
This fund “stands out for having implemented the first compensatory mechanism for loss of pay. This compensation, adjusted to the specificities of the professional activity carried out by fishing professionals, in unexpected situations that lead to absence for a certain period of time, guarantees a minimum income to fishing professionals, particularly important for those who earn low salaries and do not have, when fishing is interrupted, financial resources to meet their basic needs'.
"This Fund is intended to support fishermen when weather conditions do not allow them to work at sea or in a situation of closed resources, so in the present situation what is required is to allocate a budget from the State Budget to prevent situations as the Covid-19, and not the Salary Compensation Fund», demands the Federation of Trade Unions of the Fisheries Sector.
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