Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries warns of serious consequences of socialist proposal to amend RAMPA - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas

The Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries is deeply concerned about the proposal presented by the Socialist Party (PS) to amend the Azores Marine Protected Areas Network (RAMPA), allowing tuna fishing using pole-and-line gear in fully protected areas. Although this measure involves fishing gear traditionally recognised for its sustainability and selectivity, it represents a significant step backwards in the Region's commitments to safeguarding marine conservation.

RAMPA was created based on the criteria set out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to meet the targets of the World Biodiversity Framework, the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the National Strategy for the Sea 2030. These include the legal protection of 30% of waters under national jurisdiction, including at least 10% fully protected. 

According to the IUCN, fully protected areas are incompatible with extractive activities, including commercial tuna pole-and-line fishing. As such, the proposed reclassification directly jeopardises RAMPA's alignment with international standards, making it incompatible with national and regional environmental commitments.

The proposal is based on assumptions conflicting with existing scientific evidence. Although pole-and-line fishing is selective, removing biomass in nature reserves has significant ecological impacts, affecting the trophic web and the balance of ecosystems. Scientific studies emphasise that tuna species, although migratory, play a relevant ecological role in seamounts. Their protection is, therefore, essential to ensure the sustainability of fishing and the preservation of marine ecosystems.

From a social and economic standpoint, the impacts of RAMPA on the pole-and-line fleet were duly analysed using data from the MONICAP monitoring system, according to the methodology of the OKEANOS Institute's "Blue Paper" report (2019), which served as the scientific basis for the creation of RAMPA. 

For this study, the Regional Government provided all the data available from the Region in its possession. The conclusions point to an estimated impact of only 7% on the activity of the pole-and-line fleet, located mainly on four fishing grounds (Formigas, Princesa Alice, D. João de Castro and Condor), totalling around 1,522 km² - a marginal area compared to the more than 160,000 km² currently classified as fully protected, which are now under threat.

It should also be noted that the Environmental Fund already provides to offset financial losses to the shipowners affected, with an initial amount of 1.5 million Euros, covering the first three months of RAMPA's implementation. The overall compensation mechanism and its duration have yet to be agreed upon, as the calculation formulas and eligibility criteria are being defined in collaboration with the University of the Azores. A potential reclassification of RAMPA, with the consequent non-compliance with international targets, would jeopardise this support mechanism - essential for the other regional fleet segments- which will continue to be impacted by the new protected areas.

Additionally, RAMPA has been allocated 10 million Euros under the Blue Azores programme for its implementation, monitoring and support for the sustainable transition of the fisheries sector. Reclassifying protected areas may jeopardise essential financial support, negatively impacting both the environment and the local economy.

Furthermore, the socialist proposal may raise constitutionality issues, as it clashes with the principle of environmental protection enshrined in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic. The balance between this principle and economic rights must respect the harmony between fundamental values, with environmental protection being a legal and statutory priority. It should be noted that the technical note from the services of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores warns that an unjustified reduction in the level of environmental protection already achieved constitutes a violation of the principle of non-retrogression, as a densifier of the principle of a relatively high protection level. 

The proposed amendment could weaken the institutional position of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in the shared management of the sea, with legal and political repercussions at a national and international level.

The Azores have been widely recognised as an example of leadership in marine protection at a global level. RAMPA has been studied internationally as a reference model and its reclassification would seriously jeopardise the Region's reputation, with potential losses in terms of credibility, financial support and economic impact.

The Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries reiterates its commitment to economic and ecological sustainability and calls for a responsible decision that preserves the future of the Azores Sea and its leading position in ocean conservation.