The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated in Velas that the existence of young fishers on São Jorge "wishing to take the training courses" promoted by the Regional Directorate for Fisheries is "very positive." According to him, "it is a good sign that there are still young people who want to work at sea and make fishing their occupation on an island where the fishing sector was ageing."
Gui Menezes stressed that training in the fisheries sector is "one of the Government's priorities," noting that a fishing course was held last year on São Jorge, covering twenty professionals. Additionally, a fishing vessel skipper course is scheduled for the first quarter of this year.
The Regional Secretary spoke at the end of a meeting with the Board of São Jorge Fishers' Association under the Regional Government's statutory visit. On the occasion, he stated that this meet was intended "to make an assessment of the first two years of the current legislative period" regarding the fisheries sector, highlighting the repair of fishing gear houses in Velas in October last year, a commitment made to São Jorge fishers.
According to Gui Menezes, "we will distribute some posters and flyers calling the attention of fishing professionals for the importance of ensuring the quality of fish caught, which is reflected in its value on first sale."
The Regional Secretary also mentioned that 2018 was an "excellent year for squid catches," a trend that continues in 2019, adding that the São Jorge Fishers' Association "has been able to export enough quantity, and this has resulted in increased income to São Jorge fishers."
In 2018, a total of 16.5 tonnes of squid were caught on São Jorge, yielding more than 100 thousand Euros on the first sale. This year, eight tonnes of squid have already been sold in auction, corresponding to more than 50 thousand Euros.
Gui Menezes also met with the Board of the Association of Caldeira de Santo Cristo Clam Catchers to discuss the development of an experience for the production of clams on the lagoon shores.
This is an initiative that could be framed in the support scheme of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) launched by the Regional Government in late May 2018 to accelerate the transfer of knowledge between scientists and fishers, thus promoting the sustainability of fishing resources in the archipelago.
In addition, the meeting also addressed the preparation of a plan aimed at monitoring the water quality of Caldeira de Santo Cristo lagoon.