The Azorean government, along with the AMT – Mobility and Transport Authority and the IMT – Mobility and Transport Institute, is currently working to clarify certain aspects of the law that are outdated in relation to the current cargo movement between the islands and the mainland.
The Chega/Azores party, in a request sent to the Regional Legislative Assembly, disclosed today that “for weeks, over two hundred heads of cattle have been stranded on the islands of Pico and Graciosa due to a lack of maritime transport to reach the mainland.”
Contacted regarding this situation, the Regional Director of Mobility assured that even if it is not possible to transport all the cattle by sea, “at least part of it” should be shipped this week.
However, he noted this is “always dependent on the cargo capacity” of the shipowner.
In the request released today, Chega/Azores highlights that this situation “is leaving the cattle producers without options to maintain the animals, jeopardizing their income.”
The document questions which navigation companies are responsible for transporting live cattle and what has prevented the live cattle from being shipped, as they have been waiting for weeks.
“Is the Regional Government aware of the number of live cattle stranded, especially on Graciosa and Pico, due to the lack of transport to the mainland?” the parliamentarians ask. They also inquire whether the Azorean Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) has been negotiating with navigation companies to resolve the issue.
The Chega deputies further question whether companies transporting live cattle can refuse to board the animals and what legal reasons would allow such a refusal.
“Chega demands explanations about this situation. It is unacceptable that the animals have been waiting for weeks to depart from our islands to the mainland without anyone taking responsibility,” states Deputy Francisco Lima in a Chega press release.
Last week, farmers on Graciosa Island urged the Azorean Government to find an alternative solution for the cattle transport ship, which is currently in dry dock, pointing out that this significantly “impacts their income.”
In a statement, the farmers mentioned that, “despite the Azorean Government having secured weekly maritime transport for Graciosa Island, the last cattle shipment occurred nearly a month ago (April 23).”
“Today [May 22], around 200 heads of cattle were supposed to be shipped, but it did not happen because the ship that usually serves the route is in dry dock, and the substitute vessel only performs local traffic, unable to timely bring the cattle to any of the shipping ports for the mainland,” the statement read.
The Agricultural Federation (FAA), today in a press release, noted that the “constraints publicized” by the Graciosa Farmers Association, “regarding the live cattle shipment from that island, are an example of deficiencies in the maritime freight transport model, aside from delays and/or route changes due to weather conditions.”
