The Regional Under Secretary of Fishing stated today in Lagoa that the Government intends to continue to improve the operating conditions and quality of fish in regional port areas.
Marcelo Pamplona spoke at the signing ceremony of the consignment agreement for the improvement works of Porto dos Carneiros in the city of Lagoa. The government official stressed the importance of fisheries as an essential and strategic sector for the Azores.
The improvement works, now presented, have a budget of 172 thousand Euros and are intended to improve the docking and beaching conditions of that port with the expansion of the slipway by 8 metres and the construction of 21 metres long and 3.5 metres wide pier.
According to Marcelo Pamplona, this "work is an asset to Lagoa as, in addition to supporting the fisheries sector, it will enhance maritime and tourism activities and recreational boating in this coastal area."
The Regional Under Secretary of Fishing assured that this project is the result of an investment made by the Azorean Government in pursuing a policy that brings the Azorean people closer to the sea, which is a key pillar for the future viability of the archipelago.
"A maritime Region like ours, which expands the Portuguese maritime territory, cannot ignore the importance of the sea as a key factor for the economic and social development," the government official said, adding that the Government has undertaken an investment effort in the fishing fleet as well as in public support infrastructures for the regional maritime sector.
The Under Director stressed that the fleet and network of regional ports have reached a level of quality that is inconsistent with the conditions of regional ports in late 1996.
Marcelo Pamplona highlighted the importance of fish consumption in terms of public health for the Azores as well its relevance for the self-sufficiency of families that is ensured "by an activity that is efficiently carried out by fishers."
The Regional Under Secretary of Fishing also revealed that due to the strategic importance of the fishing heritage in the Azores, the Regional Government will continue to fight in the European Union for the protection of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Azores in order to ensure the profitability of regional fisheries and the future of fishers in the medium and long term.