Brussels, 20/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - In Nouakchott on 17 September, Mauritania reached agreement with the European Union on adjustments to the 2012 fisheries agreement, changes that have not yet been endorsed by the EU institutions. The European Commission welcomes the changes, which will be voted on by the European Parliament on 8 October. At the end of May, the European Parliament's fisheries committee recommended that the fisheries agreement should not be endorsed (see EUROPE 10856).
After two days of talks at the joint EU-Mauritania committee on the fisheries agreement for 2012-2014, Mauritania agreed to a change to two points, on prawn fishing and deep-sea fishing, as long as the country's fish resources are protected, along with the interests of Mauritanian fishermen, explained the head of the Mauritanian negotiating team, Sheikh Ould Ahmed, an advisor at the Fisheries Ministry.
Under the amendments, the European fleet will now be allowed to approach certain fishing zones up to ten miles from the coast, rather than 20 miles as in the previous version of the fisheries agreement, which will allow EU ships to fish for various species of prawn. In addition, the fee to be paid by EU fishing ships to Mauritania has gone down from €420 a tonne to €400 a tonne.
Three pelagic fishing zones have been reserved for the EU fishing fleet between Cape Timeris (near Nouakchott) and a zone close to the Senegalese border in the south.
“Both parties have underlined the importance of the agreed conclusions, which allow the EU's fleet for a more effective and sustainable access to fishing opportunities whilst ensuring the preservation of the Mauritanian fish resources,” explains the Commission.
The joint committee has agreed on the following changes: modification of shrimp fishing areas, a revision of the by-catch for cephalopods, and a fee reduction for the vessels of the European artisan fishermen; adaptation of the fishing zone for pelagic freezer trawlers reinforcing the protection of the seabed and improving fishing opportunities; improvement of boarding conditions for Mauritanian seamen on European ships; greater safety during landing of the contribution in kind of the Mauritanian vessels; continuation of scientific research for the launch of an experimental campaign for the octopus fishery in Mauritanian waters; increased transparency in the implementation of the sectoral support for the future release of the 2013-2014 financial support which aims to strengthen the fisheries sector in Mauritania
The European Commission notes: “The results of the meeting reflect the strengthening of wider cooperation and partnership between the EU and Mauritania, in particular within the fisheries sector.” Official Mauritanian statistics show that fisheries accounts for more than 20% of the country's income and employs more than 36,000 people in the country.
The new fisheries deal is worth €110 million a year, with the EU's contribution being €70 million (€57 million for access to fishing resources and €3 million for sectoral aid). The remaining €40 million will be paid by fishermen in fees for fish licences.
Around a hundred EU fishing vessels from twelve member states will be allowed to fish in Mauritanian waters. Most of them are from Spain, followed by Italy, Portugal, Greece, France, the United Kingdom, Malta, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Catches are divided into eight categories - pelagic species, demersal species (such as marlin), seafood (shrimp, rock lobster, Dublin Bay prawns and crab) and tuna. There is also a category for cephalopods, but the quota here is zero, which the Spanish are unhappy about. (LC/transl.fl)