Portugal: Fishermen's Day

Fishermen's Day

When the government made 31st May Fishermen's Day, celebrated for the first time in 1999, its aim was to mark the 1997 publication of Law no. 15/97, approving the first legal individual work contract regime on board fishing boats.
Fishing company employees, both at sea and on land, form a sector profoundly marked by the hardship and dangers that are part of their work, and their rights and status are rarely recognised in a way that would guarantee them greater job stability.
On the other hand, a business perspective in the sector is clearly linked with stability. It is well known how Portugal's history is inextricably linked with the sea, and as part of this, fishing.
The aim of celebrating Fishermen's Day is to honor the class and raise awareness in the sector to promote renewal of fishing in Portugal within a framework of responsible fishing.