The Regional Secretary for Natural Resources announced today that the Government of the Azores, in conjunction with associations in the sector, to reanalyse the criteria on the issuing and renewal of permits for fishing vessels operating from three to six miles off the coast other islands in case of non-compliance with the rules.

Speaking at the end of a meeting with the Board of Graciosa Fishers' Association, Luís Neto Viveiros stressed that, in addition to the recommendations for strengthening surveillance," the Government, in a joint action with fishers and their associations, will reconsider the criteria on the issuing of these authorisations in order to further prevent situations of misconduct"; i.e., unauthorised fishing up to three miles offshore.

The Regional Secretary considered that this working meeting was positive, adding that it also served to "analyse issues regarding the operation of the fishers' association itself" as well as "some concerns regarding the problems that Graciosa fishers face on a daily basis."