The Azores Fishers' Salary Compensation Fund (FUNDOPESCA) is a fund with legal personality as well as with administrative and financial autonomy under the direct administration of the Regional Secretary responsible for fisheries matters.
This Fund provides financial support to fishing professionals in situations when they are temporarily unable to carry out their activity and face a significant reduction of income.
FUNDESPESCA comprises the following beneficiaries:
a) Shipowners and fishers, holders of a valid seafarer's book or boarding permit, who carry out their activity exclusively on board fishing vessels registered in ports located within the Autonomous Region of the Azores that should be duly licensed and immobilised;
b) Workers who carry out carry out exclusively an activity on shore directly related to immobilised vessel;
(c) Fishers licensed for onshore fishing and catchers, holders of valid licences, when carry out this activity on an exclusive basis.
The immobilisation of vessels resulting in the reduction of fishers' income constitutes grounds for the granting of salary compensation aid, provided that it is due to:
a) A natural and unforeseeable disaster or unfavourable sea conditions resulting in a daily fish auction value of less than 35 % for 8 consecutive or 15 alternate days over a 30-day period, compared with the daily arithmetic average value of the the last three years, calculated per island, excluding the days on which fish markets auctions are closed;
b) Prohibition of fishing due to reasons concerning resource conservation, public health or environmental protection for a minimum period of eight consecutive days;
(c) Inability to carry out fishing activities as a result of constraints arising from the migratory nature of certain species and the specialisation of the fleet on these species, according to the reasons and limits provided for in Community regulations.
Only the professionals covered by occupational accident, total disability or workplace death insurance contracts, valid for a period of not less than 6 months, may benefit from FUNDPESCA.
This Fund is managed by an Administrative Board composed of the following members:
• Regional Director for Fisheries;
• A representative of the Regional Government department with competence in Social Security matters;
• A representative of the Regional Government department with competence in Employment matters.
• Three representatives of fishers;
• A representative of shipowners;
•A representative of LOTAÇOR.
By order of December 2, 2013 issued by the Regional Secretary for Natural Resources and published in the Official Journal no.240, II Series, on December 11, 2013, the following members were appointed as representative of onshore workers:
• Luis Carlos Silva Brum, member of the Azores Free Union of Fishers, Seafarers and Similar Occupations;
• José Florentino Cabeceira Azevedo, member of Flores Fishers' Associations;
• António Laureno Silveira, member of São Jorge Fishers' Association.
By order of December 13, 2017 issued by the Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology and published in the Official Journal no.233, II Series, on December 13, 2017, Paulo Rogério Pereira Melo, a member of Terceira Shipowners' Association, was appointed as representative of shipowners.