Sea, Science and Technology Plan for 2020 consolidates ongoing changes, says Gui Menezes
The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated in Horta that the proposed Plan for 2020 will "accomplish the strategic goals” of the Government's Programme for the areas under its supervision, while ensuring “the full use of Community funds available for public investments.”
The consolidation of the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the fisheries sector, the smart use and management of coastal areas and the sea, and the strengthening of the regional scientific and technological system were some of the goals mentioned by Gui Menezes during the hearings at the Committees on Economic Affairs, on Parliamentary Affairs, Environment and Labour, and on Social Affairs of the Legislative Assembly.
Regarding Fisheries, Gui Menezes stated that the investment for 2020 will reach 34 million Euros, corresponding to a 9% increase over this year. According to him, “these proposals will improve working conditions, boost income and increase the sustainability of the sector.”
In this context, the government official highlighted some investments in the regional cold storage network, training and the focus on research and production of information on fish stocks.
As for Sea Affairs, the Plan for 2020 provides for a series of measures, distributed in three areas, namely Coastal Management, Biodiversity and Sea Policy, and the promotion of the Sea Economy.
According to Gui Menezes, there will be “a strong investment” in the protection of the coastline of the islands with “new priorities arising from the damages caused by Hurricane Lorenzo, which will have to be addressed in this plan.” In this regard, he added that "we must give priority to the safeguarding of people and their property."
The Regional Secretary also revealed that "the contract work for the construction of the Azores Maritime School will be completed following the acquisition of equipment, after which it will proceed to the certification phase so that some courses may start in the next school year."
According to Gui Menezes, the Plan for 2020 will also consolidate the work carried out in the areas of biodiversity conservation and marine ecosystems. Currently, the revision of marine protected areas and the organisation of human activities at sea are under way.
In the fields of Science and Technology, the planned investment for 2020 reaches 15.8 million Euros, which corresponds to an increase of about 14% over 2019.
In this context, Gui Menezes highlighted the funding of research projects in the RIS3 fields, already ongoing or starting next year, in the Azores Scientific and Technological System and in business context. The support for advanced training and scientific employment, and science education will also increase in 2020.
Moreover, the Regional Secretary highlighted the aerospace sector, mentioning the planned investments for RAEGE stations on Flores and Santa Maria islands, the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) project on Terceira and the space port project on Santa Maria, whose tender is ongoing.