Pescanova Portugal, a subsidiary of the Spanish fishing giant, has confirmed that its factory in Mira, in the Coimbra district, will not be closing down and that the unit is “still viable”.
This reaction followed an article penned by the former executive president, Alfonso Paz-Andrade, in magazine Industrias Pesqueras, for the fishing industry, in which he criticised the management of Manuel Fernández de Sousa, ex-president of the administration council.
In the article, cited by Spanish newspaper El País, Paz-Andrade criticises the business plan developed by Sousa, which led to “undesirable results” due to a “lack of vision” and “bad management”.
Pescanova Portugal has refused to make any comments regarding the accusations, but Miguel Grego, deputy mayor of Mira, said the Spanish press is keen to publicise these because they never liked the fact that the investment was made in Mira and not in Galiza.
The Mira aquaculture unit, inaugurated in 2009, employs around 170 workers and represents an initial investment of €140 million. However, recent operational difficulties regarding water collection forced the company to lay off half its staff in January. Fifty of those returned to work in July and the remainder will be re-employed on September 30.
