Bullied by the EU? The last pole-and-line fishermen of the Azores | DW Documentary
Rod fishing has a long tradition in the Azores. It is the only method of tuna fishing permitted on the Atlantic islands – and the most sustainable. A counterpoint to industrial fishing and “floating tuna factories.”
Eduino Quadros stands on his cutter ship. When will he return to his home port? He doesn’t know. During the season, he and his crew chase schools of tuna. “Look, we fish completely sustainably with a bamboo fishing rod. That way, we’re not contributing to the extinction of species in the ocean,” he says.
His family has been fishing for tuna for generations, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult.
There are only about 30 boats left: the fishermen of the autonomous region, which belongs to Portugal, are fighting for survival.
“The way we fish, it’s hard to know how things will turn out. Sometimes a school shows up and we can catch enough to last us the whole month. Other times, we’re out for a week, two weeks, or even three weeks and don’t find a single fish. It’s very unpredictable, very uncertain,” says Eduino.
He has 15 men on board, pulling 60- to 80-kilogram fish out of the water with their rods. Eduino has to pay his crew. Fuel costs have also risen. But his biggest concern is the EU’s fishing regulations, which currently only allow them to catch fish weighing more than ten kilograms. The restrictions are constantly increasing – but not always applied across the board. “Why do only we have to pay attention to this and not the industrial trawl fisheries that operate worldwide?” he asks. “Who controls these giants?”
In addition, there’s the EU fishing quota. Once the limit for a species has been reached, Eduino and his colleagues are no longer allowed to fish – and can earn nothing. He is very concerned about the future of this “manual work.” Fewer and fewer young people in the Azores are willing to take on this backbreaking activity.
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Video “Bullied by the EU? The last pole-and-line fishermen of the Azores | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 12/21/2025 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.