A business source linked to the Ceará fishing sector and present at Fruit Logistica – the world's largest fruit fair, held in Berlin (Germany) – commented that there is a project by the Spanish Robinson Crusoé to expand its investments in Ceará, building two factories in the In the area of ​​the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex – one for tins and the other for processing tuna and other fish – this could face a tough dispute with its Portuguese competitors, Gomes da Costa, which is also thinking of investing in the coast of São Gonçalo of Amarante.

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Robinson Crusoé, controlled by the Jaelsa group, headquartered in Galicia, already has a small tuna processing plant in São Gonçalo do Amarante, which last year earned R$125 million, and this year 2020 may reach one. revenue of up to R$175 million.

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The authorization depends on the meetings and agreements of the ICCAT international treaty in which Brazil is participating and intensively discussing. The Robinson Crusoe depends on the result of this agreement to have the authorization of the increase in its export tuna.

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Without this authorization, the project of the Spanish company may not even get off the ground.

As the carriage rides, an Iberian war is approaching for the right to exploit Ceará's fishing potential, not only in catching, but also in processing fish with a focus on tuna.

The Portuguese from Gomes da Costa, who lead the fishing sector in Santa Catarina, also want to invest in the area of ​​the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex, more precisely in the installation of a fishing terminal and a factory to benefit not only tuna, but other fish.

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So far, however, there is no demand from the Portuguese in this regard with the government agencies of Ceará - Adece and the Agribusiness Executive Secretariat of the Secretariat for Economic Development (Sedet).

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But according to information, the government of Ceará is closely following the issue.

Earlier this month, Monday 3rd, the Economic Development secretary, Maia Júnior, and his executive secretary of Agribusiness, Sílvio Carlos Ribeiro, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Galicia with the Jaelsa group, through which its subsidiary Robinson Crusoé will run a fishing school, which will train professional sailors and fishermen, on a loan from the Ceará government.

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In addition, the Jaelsa group would also operate a fishing terminal in the Pecém Complex, using its fleet's boats equipped with the most modern technology for locating schools, capturing and storing fish.

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This Spanish project will cause a dispute with Portuguese from Gomes da Costa who also want to get into fishing and processing of tuna caught off the coast of Ceará.

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"It's a big fight, which will be amplified with the next arrival of an American group, whose identity is still kept confidential, which also wants to invest in the construction of a fishing terminal in the Porto do Pecém area, in the construction and management of a fishing school and in the use of a fleet of at least 20 boats equipped with the latest technology for locating schools and storing fish”.

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Source: Diário do Nordeste - Egídio Serpa