The Council of the EU adopted without debate, on Thursday 20 February, the two legislative acts on the content of the new six-year (2020-2026) fisheries agreement between the EU and the Seychelles (see EUROPE 12398/9, 12356/18).
This is the EU’s most important current tuna agreement, both financially and in terms of fishing opportunities (see EUROPE 12294/30).
It will allow the EU fleet - 40 purse seiner vessels (22 from Spain, 16 from France and two from Italy) and eight surface longliners (four from France, two from Spain and two from Portugal) - to continue fishing for a reference tonnage of 50,000 tonnes of tuna in Seychelles waters.
The EU will provide the Seychelles with an annual financial contribution of €5.3 million, €2.8 million of which is earmarked to promote the sustainable management of fisheries in the Seychelles as well as to support the development of small-scale fisheries. For the whole duration of the protocol, the total estimated value, including the EU ship-owners’ contribution for purchasing licences, amounts to €58.2 million, equivalent to €9.7 million per year. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)