Mértola: Maritime police seized in the river Guadiana 20 fishing nets lamprey.
Twenty networks of the Guadiana river fishermen were apprehended by the Maritime Police and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry. Fishermen contest offenses with the support of the House and Parish Council.
A supervision of the Maritime Police (PM) and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry (ICNF) carried out in the past day 27 February in the river Guadiana, in the Mértola municipality, culminating in the seizure of fishing nets and harsh fines, let the angry fishermen.
The two officials landed at the port of Pomarão and semi-rigid boats up the river to Mértola, having seized 20 fishing nets, used in this stage of the year in harvesting lamprey. Beyond the grasp of the arts, fishermen incur an administrative offense 700 euros for each network caught in the Guadiana.
Attentive to the situation, the City Council and the Board of Parish of Mértola, immediately contacted the Maritime Captaincy Vila Real de Santo Antonio and Tavira and yesterday held a meeting that brought together the parties, including about two dozen fishermen, to explain and overcome the situation. At the meeting attended by a councilor of the Municipality of Alcoutim, whose fishermen also develop toil in "Rio Grande do Sul".
The Guadiana river is divided into two sections, and does not have its own fishing regulation, exists as e.g., Lima no, Cávado or Mondego. An international section shared with Spain, between Vila Real de Santo António and Pomarão, municipality of Mértola, and the national from the former mining port to the Azenhas, River area north of the Alentejo town, which applies the general law of fishing, more demanding and restrictive.
Vasconcelos Andrade, commander of Captaincy, explained to the fishermen that the networks were seized because "had no buoys, with the boat registration, and an orange flag signal, what made illegal ", also drawing attention to the rule of law "as to collect usage, with GPS Locator ", justified. The official acknowledged that in recent times the "awareness-raising among fishermen have been zero, which may have contributed to the detected infractions ", concluded.
Louis Wood, President of the Parish Council and chief of staff of the president of the Chamber Mértola, assured the fishermen that "everything we do to defend your interests, because they are important to the social and touristic development of the town and county ", justified.
The mayor was confronted by the fishermen with the high cost of the bailout and the GPS locator unit vests valued in 400 euro and the possibility for it to be supported by the local authority as did those of Vila Real de Santo Antonio and Tavira. Luis Wood said that "will put the matter to the Chairman that will surely be available to assist in the acquisition of the same", finished.
Francisco Guerrero, one of the fishermen, He proved to be "very satisfied" with the meeting's conclusions, justifying that the recommendations of the Province "will be respected, because we want to fish within the law ", justified.
At the end of the meeting, the LN, Commander Vasconcelos Andrade explained that "the networks will be returned to fishermen, who incur offenses ", situation they did already know "will challenge and seek to avoid, within the premises of the law ", with the support of the House and Parish Council.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
