18/03/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 18 March, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries recommended (19 votes in favour, 4 against and 2 abstentions) that the signature of the new protocol to the EU/Guinea-Bissau fisheries agreement (see EUROPE 13486/19) be approved. Under the new protocol, vessels from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and France will be authorised to catch 3,500 gross registered tonnes (GRT) of cephalopods and 3,700 GRT of shrimp per year until 2029. The agreement also grants access to 28 tuna seiners and freezer longliners and 13 pole-and-line tuna vessels for highly migratory species. Pending a favourable scientific assessment, the agreement does not provide for the possibility of fishing small pelagics. The EU contribution is estimated at €85 million over five years. (LC)