António Lé was born in Figueira da Foz and it was his father, Fernando Lé, who passed on to him his passion for the sea and the fascination of his profession.

He completed the net maker’s course and the fishery management technicians’ course at FORMAR, and, more recently, in order to meet the challenges of the global economy, he qualified at the Coimbra Business School for a higher degree in the management and direction of fishing companies.

He has also attended various training courses in the areas of decks, machinery, basic safety (STCW) and electro-mechanics, all related to the day-to-day management of his companies and Centro Litoral OP.

His entrepreneurial career began in 1995 with the purchase of the mythical ‘Atleta’, a vessel with a long history in sardine fishing. Today he is the majority shareholder in four fishing companies, making him the largest national purse seine owner.

In the area of associations, he was instrumental in the creation of the ‘Associação de Armadores de Pesca Costeira e do Largo do Centro Litoral’, in 1997 and the ‘Cooperativa de Produtores de Peixe do Centro Litoral, CRL’, in 1999, now recognised as a producer organisation for more than four dozen species, of which he is President of the Board until 2021.

He is an effective member of several specialised fisheries committees (e.g. sardines) and is a member of the governing bodies of ANOPCERCO – Associação Nacional das Organizações de Produtores da Pesca do Cerco and ADELO – Associação de Desenvolvimento Local da Bairrada e Mondego.