Political party- PAN expressed today, at a press conference held in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, its total opposition to any type of fishing in the Selvagens Islands Nature Reserve Area, reiterating its commitment to the preservation of marine ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity.
“We want to make it clear that one thing is the renegotiation of tuna fishing quotas, which depend on the European Union, and that there is work to be done in this regard, including by the Central Government, another completely different issue is the proposal of Chega to want to open the Selvagens for tuna fishing. We are talking about a 50-year-old nature reserve and breaking a legal regime carried out in 2019 that limits that area to a set of activities, placing Selvagens as an example all over the world. It is the largest nature reserve in the North Atlantic, having already been the subject of several validated studies, including by internationally renowned institutions,” said PAN deputy Mónica Freitas, in a statement.
The Selvagens Islands, located south of the archipelago of Madeira, are one of the most preserved and sensitive areas of the Atlantic Ocean, and any fishing activity carried out there, even if controlled, represents a significant threat to the integrity of this ecosystem, the party points out in the same note.
“It’s not even a question of being a more or less sustainable type of fishing, even pole and line fishing always poses a risk to the species. These are vessels that are entering a nature reserve, causing disturbances in the ecosystem. In addition, we know the difficulty that exists in terms of inspection and monitoring of these activities, and there is no guarantee that only these tuna species will be fished.”
The PAN also reinforced that although tuna has not been classed as an endangered species since 2021, this was only possible due to the restrictions and quotas implemented “incisively” over the last 10 years.
Portugal has international commitments to conserve biodiversity, which include the protection of sensitive marine areas. The permission to fish in the reserve contradicts these commitments and goes against the Nature Restoration Law, a commitment recently made at the European Union level by the member states.
The spokesperson for PAN-Madeira stressed that “the protection of the Selvagens Islands is a priority not only for Madeira but for the entire global community. Allowing fishing in this area would be a significant setback in marine conservation efforts and would go in the opposite direction to what is being advocated at a European level.”
“We call on the Regional Government of Madeira and the competent authorities to maintain and strengthen the ban on any type of fishing in this area. Since tuna, even as the proponent party points out, is a migratory species, there is no scientific basis for fishing for this species in a nature reserve. We also remember that this same Chega proposal had already been discussed in the previous legislature and that it was rejected by the PAN for the reasons again exposed here, and by the PSD-CDS coalition, with the abstention of the PS, PCP, and BE”, stressed Mónica Freitas.
The party expressed solidarity with the fishermen, considering that fishing quotas can be adjusted, taking into account the specificities of the Region. In addition, the NAP argued that European Union funds and support programmes should be channelled towards sustainable activities, which take advantage of maritime resources to promote research, ecotourism, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the oceans and species and ensuring the livelihood of the people who engage in these activities, without prejudice to them.
PAN Madeira is committed to continuing the fight for the protection of the oceans and implementing policies that promote sustainability and the conservation of natural resources.
