Ordinance allows capture of the sardine-slab by fishing vessels in Brazil

The Secretariat for Aquaculture and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) published on Tuesday (15th) a decree that allows the inclusion of the slab sardine (Opisthonema oglinum) in the list of species of the Complementary Fishing Authorization of vessels that capture sardines as a target.

Previously, the sardine-slab was allowed to be caught by the boats that are allowed to catch the true sardine only as predictable companion fauna - which are fishes that are in the same catch area as the target species and that their capture cannot be avoided. However, the real-sardine and the sardine-slab have very similar physical and behavioral aspects and often came more sardine-slab than real-sardine.

For the secretary of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Jorge Seif Jr., the ordinance is an important step in favor of the legal security and productivity of the almost 200 vessels in the Southeast / South of the sardine fleet.

“The measure directly benefits more than 20 thousand people who make this activity their source of income and employment. In addition, it provides the maintenance of the activities of several canning industries throughout Brazil. Productivity subsidized by science and hand in hand with sustainability ”, says the secretary.

Thus, fishermen will have legal certainty to bring slab sardines in any proportion. Also according to SAP, the measure should not increase the fishing effort on the sardine-slab, since it was already caught by this fleet.