Brussels, 24/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - Following restoration of constitutional order, the EU and Guinea-Bissau have signed a new three-year fisheries protocol, the European Commission announced in a press release on Monday 24 November (see EUROPE 11124). EU vessels fish tuna, shrimp, cephalopods and demersal species along the length of the Guinea-Bissau coast.
EU vessels, mainly from Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and Italy, will now be able to resume fishing in these waters after a two-year hiatus.
The agreement will allow up to 40 EU vessels to operate in the waters of Guinea-Bissau in return for an EU financial contribution of €9.2 million per year. The EU will invest €3 million per year to support development of the local fishing sector, strengthening the country's capacity in monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities, encouraging scientific cooperation, improving health checks and providing support to small-scale fishing. These initiatives will be planned and implemented in line with the priorities set by Guinea-Bissau and will chime with action supported by the EU through the European development fund (EDF). Tackling illegal fishing is of particular importance to both parties and only through the cooperation and joint approach that lie at the heart of this agreement can progress be made, says the Commission.
In July 2014 it was agreed to restart ratification procedures for the EU-Guinea-Bissau fishing agreement signed in 2012. This three-year agreement was never implemented because of the political problems in the country (military coup in April 2012). (LC)