On 8 January, the EU and Greenland concluded negotiations for Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and a new Protocol “that will strengthen their cooperation in the fisheries sector for the next four years with the possibility of a two-year extension”, the European Commission explained in a press release.
It is the only mixed fisheries agreement in the North Atlantic and the third most important agreement for the EU in this sector in financial terms. It will allow the EU fleet (12 large industrial trawlers) to continue fishing in Greenland waters for a period of four years (plus two years).
Fishing opportunities have been negotiated for the same species as in the current protocol (Cod, Redfish, Greenland Halibut, Northern Prawn, Capelin and Grenadier), mostly on a downward trend.
Fishing opportunities for Mackerel have also been included in the Agreement at a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) level of 0. Any Mackerel quota transferred by Greenland in the future will depend on Greenland signing the Coastal States Sharing Arrangement on the management of Mackerel stocks. The reference prices have been updated to reflect current market prices.
The EU will pay Greenland an annual financial contribution of €16.5 million, of which €2.9 million will be used to promote the development of the fisheries sector in Greenland. For the entire duration of the protocol, the estimated value of the agreement is €99 million. In addition, EU ship-owners will pay licence fees for fishing opportunities.
The new agreement respects the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and complies with Greenland’s legislation and the measures of the relevant regional fisheries organisations.
Each party will now initiate the necessary legislative procedures for the signature and conclusion of the new agreement and its implementing protocol.
Link to the table on the new TACs (in Danish): http://bit.ly/3nuc8rX (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)