Regional Directorate for Fisheries
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564 professionals eligible for FUNDOPESCA
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas
564 professionals eligible for FUNDOPESCA
Azorean fishers and shipowners allowed to catch additional 425 tonnes of bigeye tuna this year
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas
Azorean fishers and shipowners allowed to catch additional 425 tonnes of bigeye tuna this year
Notice of support for fisheries and aquaculture sustainability in the Azores republished
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas
Notice of support for fisheries and aquaculture sustainability in the Azores republished
March 9, 2026 564 professionals eligible for FUNDOPESCA
June 18, 2025 Azorean fishers and shipowners allowed to catch additional 425 tonnes of bigeye tuna this year
April 29, 2025 Notice of support for fisheries and aquaculture sustainability in the Azores republished
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Welcome Note

The sea defines the uniqueness of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, not only for the extent and diversity of its ecosystems but also for its potential for discovery The Regional Directorate for Fisheries has the mission of promoting the sustainable development of the fisheries sector and valuing the sea, a crucial resource in our collective identity as an outermost region.

We are aware that the situation in the fisheries sector requires consistent and determined political action. Therefore, we must pursue the strategy towards the promotion of human resources as well as the improvement of income and working conditions, while ensuring the sustainability of this activity in the Region, based on knowledge and dialogue with industry partners.

The Regional Directorate for Fisheries seeks to respond to a number of challenges: the sustainable development of the fisheries sector and fishing communities, seizing new opportunities in traditional and emerging maritime activities; the increase and diversification of income for families, companies and institutions linked to the Sea; the promotion of the Region's capabilities and attractiveness as a space of excellence for the development of research and innovation activities in relevant areas of knowledge projecting the Azores at national and transnational level.

Our proposals for the fisheries sector are in line with the strategy to respond to these challenges. They mirror the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and are based on: Qualification and capability building, meeting the needs of occupations related to the Sea and promoting the training of regional staff linked to the business sector; Products and innovation, streamlining the conversion of ideas and knowledge into added-value solutions and measures capable of generating significant sustainable gains in the regional productive fabric; Sustainability of policies and measures to be implemented, bringing together their environmental, economic and social values; Knowledge, promoting production and transfer of knowledge in all priority areas of the regional economy, with special emphasis on Sea and Cooperation, reinforcing partnerships and networking between the regional administration, economic and social agents, and the regional scientific and technological system. 

We advocate policies that promote the precautionary and sustainable management of our marine resources with the important contribution of associations. In this regard, we want to ensure the support and participation of all industry partners in decision-making processes. 

We aim to continue these measures with a view to safeguarding resources and ensuring adequate income for fishing professionals by adapting work contracts to the reality of the fisheries sector. In this context, we also intend to improve the working conditions of fishers by investing in fishing support infrastructures and equipment.

We aim to continue promoting the training fishing professionals and, accordingly, we believe that the Azores Maritime School will pay an important role in the training of our fishers, but also in the training of seafarers in general, leveraging emerging professions in this area.

We intend to develop policies aimed at strengthening the sector that will promote local development and foster a strategy taking into account the specific realities of each of our island's coastal communities, creating new sources of income for fishers through activities complementary to fishing.

564 professionals eligible for FUNDOPESCA
Nota de Imprensa
March 9, 2026
564 professionals eligible for FUNDOPESCA
The Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries, through the Regional Directorate for Fisheries, processed today the payment of the FUNDOPESCA salary compensation fund, following its activation on February 9. Following the analysis of applications, the Regional Directorate for Fisheries reported that 653 applications were submitted, 564 of which met the criteria established by the FUNDOPESCA Board, an increase of 58 eligible applications compared to the last payment. This analysis has resulted in the allocation of €237,024.35 to eligible professionals, plus Social Security contributions for days of inactivity, following the amendment introduced by the XIII Government of the Azores. The Regional Directorate for Fisheries reiterates its commitment to ensuring that FUNDOPESCA is allocated fairly and transparently in accordance with the regulations in force.
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Azorean fishers and shipowners allowed to catch additional 425 tonnes of bigeye tuna this year
Nota de Imprensa
June 18, 2025
Azorean fishers and shipowners allowed to catch additional 425 tonnes of bigeye tuna this year
The Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries, through the Regional Directorate for Fisheries, has secured an additional 425 tonnes of bigeye tuna from the National Government, which will be added to the 2,500 tonnes made available for 2025. This is the result of joint efforts undertaken by the governments of the two autonomous regions, following weeks of negotiations, culminating in this excellent news for professionals in the Azorean fishing sector engaged in tuna fishing using the pole-and-line method. This year, for the first time, a memorandum of understanding between the two autonomous regions entered into force on January 1, with the primary goal of promoting sustainability in the sector. The same operating rules were adopted by the tuna fleets of the Azores and Madeira, further extending the fishing season. This management led to an increase in the average price in the Azores at the first auction sale of about €0.48 this year. The Regional Government continues to work with professionals in the sector to ensure that the first auction sale price of this species continues to grow in the future.
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