Brussels, 19/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 19 May, the European Fisheries Ministers adopted without debate three legislative acts approving the new protocol to the fishing agreement between the EU and São Tomé and Principe.
In the vote on the regulation on the division of fishing possibilities under the protocol, Spain abstained. Two other countries abstained (the United Kingdom and the Netherlands), on the grounds that there are no measures sufficient to protect sharks. The current EU/São Tomé protocol expired on 12 May 2014 and the new fishing protocol covers a period of four years.
The text on the division of fishing possibilities allows the following EU vessels to fish in the waters of São Tomé and Principe: - tuna seiners (Spain: 16 vessels; France: 12 vessels); - surface long-liners (for the first two years of the protocol's validity: four vessels for Spain; two vessels for Portugal; for the last two years of the protocol's validity: five vessels for Spain and one vessel for Portugal).
The annual financial contribution will be €710,000 for the first three years and €675,000 for the fourth year, on the basis of: - a reference tonnage of 7,000 tonnes, for an access-related amount of €385,000 for three years and and then €350,000 for the fourth year; - development support for the local fishing sector of €325,000.
Commission statement. In a statement, the European Commission maintains its position and opposes the Council's modification replacing the initial legal basis, article 43, paragraph 2, with article 43 (without specifying the paragraph). The Commission takes the view that article 43, paragraph 2 should be used as the appropriate legal base in cases in which international agreements in the fishing sector are concluded with the approval of the European Parliament.
Declaration by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands recognised that on certain problematic points, progress has been made in the text of the proposal, particularly as regards the advantages to the local fishing sector and the economic interest for the European Union. However, these two delegations regret the fact that the protocol includes no specific management system to ensure the necessary protection for sharks. “Direct fishing and by-catch of sharks are a problem in the framework of tuna fishing in the Atlantic Ocean,” the countries point out. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands would like the EU to propose management measures for sharks at a meeting of the joint committee under the protocol. (LC)