Recreational bivalve fishing will be prohibited in the international stretch of the Minho river from 1 November, for public health reasons. The ban, which covers all harvesting of clams and any other bivalves, will remain in place until the necessary management measures are approved and the sanitary evaluation of the resources is completed.
The prohibition comes through a notice published in the Official Gazette, which establishes the rules for fishing in the international stretch of the Minho river during the 2026/2027 season. The document aims to regulate the practice of professional, recreational and commercial fishing in this area, including the existing islands, within the scope of the powers of the Permanent International Commission of the Minho River.
According to the port captain of Caminha, Fernando Vieira Pereira, commercial harvesting of bivalves was already not permitted, but recreational harvesting could be practiced. However, the international stretch of the Minho river is not a bivalve production area and, therefore, is not monitored by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere for assessment of the condition of bivalves.
The permanent management committee of the international stretch of the Minho river is already making efforts to create a monitoring and verification plan for the condition of bivalves, in order to allow future authorization of this activity.
