The Aljezur City Council once again protested today against the closure of sea bream fishing on the Southwest Coast, which was imposed by an ordinance in 2014, to defend the stock of this fish, but «never had a monitoring, nor an evaluation of the effects of this measure ».
In addition, underlines the municipality, "the ban on the capture of this species continues, however, to be directed at recreational fishermen on foot, who fish on top of the cliffs", while "fishermen who use boats or underwater equipment are not covered by this biological halt».
This is, as recalled by the municipality in a statement, a situation that "has always angered recreational fishermen, residents and those looking for these stops".
Nine years after the imposition of this annual closure of sea bream fishing, which this year began on the 1st of February and continues until the 15th of March, the Aljezur Council considers that «Portaria n.º 14/2014, of January 23» , «generates injustices, mainly in municipalities like Aljezur, where many of the residents have in recreational fishing a form of leisure, but also a way to complement their family economy, since they capture fish for their food, an activity that has been going on for many years of tradition, in a community that lives between agriculture and fishing».
Over these nine years, the Council of Aljezur, as well as the other Municipalities that make up the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina (Vila do Bispo, Odemira and Sines), held numerous meetings "with the various leaders of this area", with the «different Secretaries of State», raising «the possibility of repealing the temporary ban on recreational fishing, or that, if there is a closed season, it should be comprehensive, to all types of fishing», that is, also encompassing fishing on board or underwater.
Only, «9 years later and with another closed period starting», nothing has changed, which leads the Aljezur Council to pose four questions, to which it wants answers.
The first question is to know «how is the situation of the Sargo resource, what monitoring was done and what results and data were obtained?».
Afterwards, the municipality of Costa Vicentina wants to know «when will the revocation of the Ordinance in question be due?» Or if, «in the case of a resource that needs this protection, so that there is equal treatment, shouldn't the closed season be for everyone?»
Aljezur also wants to know why “the fishing ban zones” are maintained, “without, apparently, any scientific study to sustain and monitor them”.
Lastly, the Municipality of Aljezur seeks information on the «MarSW project, which could help to “conclude the need for a review of these limits and/or the creation of new areas of prohibition”», but whose results are unknown.
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