On Tuesday 12 March, the European Commission adopted a formal proposal on the new fisheries agreement between the EU and Gambia (see EUROPE 12122/18).
The new agreement covers a period of six years from the date of its provisional application and would be “renewable by tacit agreement”.
The objective of the Protocol is to provide fishing opportunities for EU vessels in Gambian waters, taking into account existing scientific assessments.
The Protocol provides for fishing opportunities in the following categories: - 28 tuna seiners (16 from Spain and 12 from France); - 10 pole-and-line vessels (8 from Spain and 2 from France); - 3 deep-water demersal trawlers (targeting black hake, a deep-sea demersal species).
In return, the EU will provide the Republic of The Gambia with a financial contribution of €550,000 per year. Half of this annual contribution will be used to strengthen the sustainability of fish stocks and the development of the fisheries sector in The Gambia. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)