The NRP Zaire detected, during an inspection operation in the Madeira maritime zone, 2,000 kilos of dry skipjack tuna that were not on the records presented by the artisanal fishermen. The detection occurred at 1 in the morning, during an operation targeting jump and pole fishing vessels. Upon arrival at the port, the Maritime Police took charge of the incident and initiated legal procedures with the competent authorities.
The PSD of Caniçal issued a statement expressing concern about the situation, asking for "common sense" and respect for the "centuries-old tradition" of dry skipjack. The article's author criticizes this position, arguing that it was PSD Madeira itself, through its majority in the Regional Assembly, that created the legislation now causing these seizures from artisanal fishermen.
The article describes a scenario of "persecution and police surveillance" against Caniçal fishermen, who are forced to sell their fish to a regional freezing and distribution monopoly. The fishermen are treated as suspects, being monitored even when they intend to take fish for their own consumption. The author questions where the PSD and other parties' statements were when the inspection was "suffocating the local economy" in favor of this centralization.
The author concludes that the PSD of Caniçal should take responsibility for the laws they approved, rather than asking for sensitivity from enforcement authorities after the crackdown. They point out that "common sense" should have been demonstrated in the Regional Assembly by changing the laws that, according to the article, "suffocate Caniçal" and benefit large economic interests to the detriment of traditional fishermen.
