Brussels, 24/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - COREPER the committee of member states' permanent representatives to the EU, reached agreement of Wednesday 22 February on a text extending the fisheries agreement between the EU and Guinea-Bissau by one year to mid-June 2012. The European Parliament approved the conclusion of this protocol on 14 February. On 10 February, the Commission had already announced a new three-year fisheries agreement to replace the current one (see EUROPE 10551).
The new protocol only covers a period of one year from 16 June 2011. It renews the terms of the previous protocol and contains an additional clause allowing its suspension if human rights and democratic principles are not respected. More particularly, the protocol provides for fishing opportunities in the following categories: - 4,400 GRT (gross registered tonnage) for shrimp freezer trawlers; - 4,400 GRT for fin-fish/cephalopod freezer trawlers; - 23 tuna seiners/surface longliners; - 14 pole-and-line tuna vessels.
The overall financial contribution of the protocol of €7,500,000 over the one-year period is based on: - (a) a maximum of 27 authorisations for tuna vessels and 8,800 GRT for trawlers, for a financial contribution of €4,550,000 and (b) support for the development of the sectoral fisheries policy of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau amounting to €2,950,000.
In a statement, the Netherlands says that it will abstain in the Council vote on extension of the agreement. The Netherlands is pleased that the existing capacity levels in the protocol and the composition and activities of the EU fleet do not interfere with the small-scale local fisheries sector and it will not, therefore, vote against this one year prolongation. It is of the view, however, that the government of Guinea Bissau should be aware that industrial fishing by non-EU vessels on the continental shelf of Guinea Bissau “could interfere with the interest of the small-scale fisheries sector”. The Netherlands considers it important to signal to the Guinea Bissau authorities that “there should be no access of industrial vessels to the continental shelf of Guinea Bissau and will therefore abstain”. (LC/transl.rt)