IPIMAR

Partner 18: Portugal - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forrest is the Department of the General Administration in charge of the proposal and execution of Government policy regarding Fisheries and applied research devoted to this sector. The Ministry will sign the MariFish contract, and will be legally represented by the National Research Institute for Agriculture and Fishery - IPIMAR.

The IPIMAR is the Public Research organisation in Portugal in the area of fisheries and is the institution responsible for managing research and giving advice in relation to the fishing policy on behalf of the Portuguese government. The IPIMAR has ultimate responsibility for management and funding of research. The IPIMAR was integrated after 2002 in National Research Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries, taking forward the Portugal Government’s programmes on the fisheries and aquaculture and has the scientific responsibility for fishery advisory in the negotiations under the CFP. The IPIMAR aims are to promote and support a sustainable and competitive fishing industry and aquaculture, to manage fish stocks to maintain maximum sustainable exploitation, to contribute for the protection of marine environment, and to monitor the quality of fishery and aquaculture products.

The IPIMAR has an annual science budget of € 6.8m: management research on Marine Fisheries (€ 4.5m per annum), Aquaculture and Upgrading and Quality (€1.1m per annum) and Marine Environment (€ 1.2m per annum). Marine research is placed with more than 10 different contractors through both direct commission, limited or open competition, and sub-contracts. IPIMAR currently is involved a total of 71 projects, which are grouped into the following programmes:  Scientific basis for fishery management, Environmental changes and repercussions on the resources, Quality and improvement of fishery and aquaculture products, Aquaculture technologies. The IPIMAR also undertakes strategy development, interfaces with other national organizations on fishery, environment and human health.

The IPIMAR has 81 scientists with permanent positions, 27 technicians, 89 research fellowships and graduated students divided by Operational Departments and regional Centres. To support the research activities IPIMAR owns 2 research vessels and boats for studies in estuaries and coastal lagoons. Dr Carlos Costa Monteiro is the Director of the IPIMAR being assisted for the scientific issues by the co-adjutor Dr. Carlos Vale.