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The regulation of the artisanal fishing sector in Santa Catarina was the central theme of a public hearing on Monday night (30) at the Colony of Fishermen Z 26, in Balneário Piçarras, on the northern coast of the state. The meeting, promoted by the Legislative Assembly's Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission, brought together artisanal fishing professionals from the region, politicians and directors of state and federal entities and public bodies related to the state's fisheries area.

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The idea of ​​the audience was to discuss the draft of a bill (PL) that will regulate the artisanal fishing activity in the State.

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Professionals expect a specific law to support artisanal fisherman. “Not just him, but the whole family. Most fishermen depend 100% on fishing and it's not just him, he always has his family. So the law is the priority, which will guide the situation of fishermen, whether on land or at sea”, said the president of the Z 26 Fishermen Colony, Adriana Linhares.

According to the fisherwoman, artisanal fishing is as economically important as industrial fishing. “Artisanal fishing moves the entire economy”, he guaranteed.

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One of the points highlighted in the new PL is the recognition of the fishermen's wives as fishing professionals, a situation that is not covered by the current legislation.

“Nowadays, there is nothing specific to her in law, and the fisherman's wife is extremely important. It is she who adds value and brings the whole family to work with fishing”, lamented the president. “Today the fisherwoman is not seen, it is the fisherman and his wife, she is from the home. She's not a housewife, she's a fisherman as much as he is, because she adds value to fishing, shrimp, fish, all fishing”, she added.

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Hilário Gottselig, director of Family Agriculture and Fisheries at the State Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, represented Governor Carlos Moisés da Silva and guaranteed the support of the State government in the study of the proposals contained in the PL.

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“The State can collaborate, based on the experience that already exists within the State, which are the appropriate propositions. There are some of them that need to be better evaluated and discussed”, he stated.

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Gottselig stressed that all regulations, public policies and actions related to fishing are focused on the federal government and that there is a need for States to take part in the process.

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"The State has everything to collaborate on this issue, improving, adjusting, proposing, so that we join the State, Legislative Assembly, with the leadership of Congresswoman Paulinha, and can consolidate an adequate, fair and durable project for fishermen."

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The head of the federal aquaculture and fisheries office in Santa Catarina, José Henrique Francisco dos Santos, said he saw a new moment for the sector.

“I think that when the State expresses itself through its Legislative Assembly, as it is today here, we realize that we are living in a new moment, that the states are concerned with the issue of fisheries management,” said Santos.

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According to the official, there are many federal rules and old normative instructions to be revised, as they were, according to him, "made in the wrong way". “We have been in the federal government for eight months, we found a very complicated situation in the management. So the states have sought, through actions like this one today, to help the federal government to create better guidelines to make life easier for fishermen”, he said.

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He congratulated Santa Catarina state deputies for the initiative and made the office available to help.

“The federal government is together to be able to collaborate and reach the final objective, which is to better serve all fishermen, not only in Santa Catarina, but in the entire country”, guaranteed Santos.

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The public hearing is the last step before the project is filed and follows the normal rite in the Legislative Assembly commissions.

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Among the suggestions proposed at the hearing in Balneário Piçarras are the holding of a meeting of fishing women, to be promoted by the Legislative School Deputy Lício Mauro da Silveira; the creation of a state fishing fund, a proposal that must be the object of an indication from the Assembly to the State government; checking shrimp closure periods; the inclusion of the Brazilian Navy in the State Fisheries Council, to be created; and the creation of the name of professional artisanal fisherman.