Gui Menezes says more than 70% of tuna fisheries in Madeira are conducted by Azorean vessels
The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stressed today that "the 22 vessels registered in the Azores licensed to fish in Madeira account for more than 70% of the tuna unloaded" in the Autonomous Region.
According to Gui Menezes, "tuna fishing is uncertain" in the Azores, i.e., it is seasonal, starting in mid-April and ending in October. In the first months, these species are more likely to occur in Madeira, where the majority of Azorean vessels are licensed to fish.
Among the fleet licensed for catching tuna using pole-and-line fishing gear, about thirty vessels unload tuna on an exclusive basis. They operate in the Azores and Madeira sub-areas.
According to the European legislation determining fishing opportunities, the national quota for albacore tuna is set at 1,994 tonnes and the national quota for bigeye tuna is at 3,574 tonnes. So far, 1,267 tonnes of albacore tuna and 1,240 tonnes of bigeye tuna have been caught, with more than 95% being unloaded in Madeira, where the first sale of tuna reaches around six million Euros. In this context, albacore tuna represents 3.2 million Euros, bigeye tuna about 2.6 million Euros, skipjack tuna 60 thousand Euros (65 thousand kilos) and bluefin tuna 250 thousand Euros (32 thousand kilos).
If we analyse fishing in the Azores in terms of average price, without considering tuna, "there has been a rise of fish prices until early June," standing at 6.31 Euros per kilo in 2019. It represents 38% more compared to 2016, 3% more than in 2017 and 13% more than in 2018, stated Gui Menezes.
According to the Regional Secretary, the rise in "the average price of fish continues to be a trend in 2019, which is the case of the alfonsino species," whose average price rose 57% regarding 2017 and 5% compared to 2018.