The European Union and Madagascar have reached a compromise on a four-year sustainable fisheries partnership agreement, according to a press release issued on 28 October by the EU delegation in Madagascar.
Negotiations had begun in 2018 and the agreement, according to the parties, “reinforces the commitment to improve fisheries governance and the sustainable management of marine living resources, to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, to promote transparency and to strengthen the protection of marine ecosystems and the sustainable development of the fisheries sector”.
Sixty-five EU vessels will be allowed to fish in Malagasy waters: 32 tuna seiners, 13 surface longliners with a gross tonnage (GT) of more than 100 tonnes and 20 smaller longliners.
The EU will provide Madagascar with an annual financial contribution of €1.8 million (including €1.1 million per year to support the sectoral fisheries policy). The estimated catch is 14,000 tonnes of tuna.
The last protocol was signed on 19 December 2014 and covered the period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2018 with a financial contribution of €6.1 million over the duration of the protocol.
This fisheries agreement had allowed EU vessels, mainly from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France, to fish in Malagasy waters. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)