On Wednesday, 10 April, the European Commission adopted formal proposals for the conclusion of the new fisheries agreement between the EU and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, which covers the years 2019-2024.
About 50 EU vessels targeting demersal species (including cephalopods and crustaceans) as well as tuna and small pelagic species will benefit from the agreement, which was initialled in November 2018.
The annual financial contribution from the European Union to the Government of Guinea-Bissau amounts to €15.6 million (€11.6 million for access to fisheries resources and €4 million for the development of Guinea-Bissau's sectoral fisheries policy and blue economy).
One of the proposals details the catches allowed.
Demersal and small pelagic species. Fishing opportunities shall be allocated among the Member States as follows: - during the first and second year of application of the Protocol, based on a system of fishing effort (gross registered tonnes, ‘GRT’): freezer shrimp trawlers (Spain 2,500 GRT, Greece 140 GRT, Portugal 1,060 GRT), freezer fin-fish and cephalopod trawlers(Spain 2,900 GRT, Greece 225 GRT and Italy 375 GRT), small-pelagic trawlers (Spain 3,500 GRT, Portugal 500 GRT, Lithuania 5,000 GRT, Latvia 5,000 GRT and Poland 1,000 GRT); - from the third year of application of the Protocol based on a system setting catch limits for each species (TAC): freezer shrimp trawlers (Spain 1,650 tonnes, Greece 100 tonnes and Portugal 750 tonnes), freezer fin-fish trawlers (Spain 9,500 tonnes, Greece 500 tonnes and Italy 1,000 tonnes), freezer cephalopod trawlers, (Spain 1,200 tonnes, Greece 150 tonnes and Italy 150 tonnes), small pelagic trawlers (Spain 3,900 tonnes, Portugal 700 tonnes, Lithuania 6,000 tonnes, Latvia 6,000 tonnes and Poland 1,400 tonnes).
Highly migratory species. Fishing opportunities for highly migratory species shall be allocated as follows: - freezer tuna seiners and surface longliners (Spain 14 vessels, France 12 vessels, Portugal 2 vessels); - pole-and-line tuna vessels (Spain 10 vessels and France 3 vessels).
The proposals are forwarded to the EU Council and European Parliament for adoption. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)