The company responsible for the operation of the Port of Nazaré, in Leiria district, announced the award of the contract for rehabilitation of the auction building, estimating that the work will be consigned "within three weeks to a month," a source responsible for communication told Lusa news agency.

The contract includes a number of measures in several areas of the auction, including the area of first sale of fish, the areas reserved for the public and workers, facilities and equipment for sanitation and fish storage areas, according to a statement from Docapesca.

The interventions "aim to maintain the pre-existing buildings as much as possible, respecting the original architectural and construction style and introducing the appreciation factor at an environmental, social and economic level," the company said.

The contract was awarded for 249,978 Euros and will last 120 days from the date of consignment.

In a statement, Docapesca stresses that the works are justified "by the natural degradation of the materials" and by the need to carry out a set of requalification works aimed at "meeting the requirements and regulations for the handling, conservation and first sale of fish, with a view to the certification of this fish auction in accordance with ISO22000:2018.

A process, according to the company, "essential to improve procedures and guarantee consumers the existence of a reliable food safety system.

Docapesca - Portos e Lotas, SA is a State Business Sector company, supervised by the Ministry of the Sea, responsible for a network of 23 Lotas and 36 Sales Posts.

The company is headquartered in Lisbon and has five delegations on the mainland: North and Matosinhos, North Centre, South Centre and Algarve.