Brussels, 29/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - An independent report published on the European Commission website on 27 January has recommended that a fisheries agreement be concluded between the EU and Kenya.
The report, which provides an ex ante assessment of the value of a possible fisheries partnership agreement with Kenya, considers that, on an experimental basis, between 22 and 40 EU seine netters and five longliners could use authorisations to fish in Kenyan waters.
The report states that, in 2013, 36 foreign seine netters bought authorisations from Kenya, at an annual cost of €22,730: two from the Republic of Korea, fourteen from Spain, seven from the Seychelles, eight from France and five from Mayotte.
EU seiners target skipjack, albacore and bigeye tuna, and the longliners target swordfish and shark but also catch some tuna.
The Council will consider the report. The European Commission will have to obtain a mandate from the Council to negotiate such an agreement with Kenya on behalf of the EU. The Commission and Kenya would then have to prepare and conclude negotiations. (LC)