Brussels, 09/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 9 September, the European Parliament approved the conclusion of three fisheries protocols with third countries.
Guinea-Bissau. With the adoption of two reports by João Ferreira (GUE/NGL, Portugal), Parliament has approved conclusion of the protocol setting fishing opportunities and the financial compensation provided for in the partnership agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (see EUROPE 11360 for the positive opinion delivered by the Parliament's fisheries committee). The financial compensation is €9.2 million per year: €6.2 million for access to the resources of Guinea-Bissau's economic zone and €3 million to help support and develop the country's fishing sector. The following fishing opportunities were granted: 3,700 GRT (gross registered tonnage) for freezer shrimp trawlers and 3,500 GRT for freezer trawlers fishing for demersal species and cephalopods, 28 freezer surface longliner tuna vessels, and 12 pole-and-rod. Parliament considers that measures to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the exclusive economic zone of Guinea Bissau should be reinforced, including by means of improved monitoring, control and surveillance through the extensive use of the satellite-based vessel monitoring system, logbooks, inspectors and the implementation of decisions by regional fisheries organisations.
Cape Verde. In adopting two reports by Peter van Dalen (ECR, Netherlands), Parliament gave its backing to the new EU-Cape Verde fisheries partnership agreement (see EUROPE 11337). Parliament notes that some species of shark (particularly blue shark and shortfin mako, which make up 99 % of total catches) listed in Annex 1 to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea are main species targeted by the EU surface long-line fleet and that the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) of ICCAT considers that they are exploited within safe biological limits. It calls on the Commission to seek guarantees that this fishery is exploited in a sustainable and responsible way.
Madagascar. With its adoption of two reports by Ricardo Serrão Santos (S&D, Portugal), Parliament approved conclusion of the new partnership agreement between the EU and Madagascar (see EUROPE 11338). The agreement includes fishing opportunities for 94 EU vessels (Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese): 40 seiners and 54 longliners of various sizes, which will be able to catch 15,750 tonnes of fish in the waters of the Republic of Madagascar's exclusive economic zone. The agreement provides for total compensation of €6.1 million from the European Union to the Republic of Madagascar over the four years that the partnership agreement will run. (Lionel Changeur)