Brussels, 03/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the European Commission sent the Council proposals detailing the content of a new fishing protocol concluded this summer between the Community and Senegal. The new protocol covers the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2006 and grants fishing rights to 78 tuna fishing boats (39 tuna purse seiners, 23 longliners and 16 pole-and-line tuna vessels). 51 of the boats are Spanish, 24 French and 3 are Portuguese. This will mean 8,000 in gross tonnage for the trawlers and longliners, which are mainly Spanish (but also Greek, Italian and Portuguese). Compared to the last protocol the impact of the measures for reducing fishing on sensitive social, economic and political fields have been considered, explained the Commission, which also underlined the fact that the segment of coastal demersal species had been reduced by 30% and mid-water pelagic species were totally excluded from the new protocol.
Overall funding to Senegal has increased from EUR 12 million to EUR 16 million annually (from EUR 48 million to EUR 64 million over four years), EUR 3 million will be used for the implementation (for the first time) of a partnership focusing on stock evaluation, fishing controls and monitoring, fishing boat safety improvement and institutional support in view of developing a sound and sustainable fishing industry.
Other elements introduced include: the permanent follow-up on the state of the stocks (a meeting focusing on science is planned annually) with the possibility of deciding whether fishing should be reduced; a new method of calculating fishing opportunities for trawlers and longliners (monthly over annual average) which according to the Commission, will reveal the level of fishing and develop increased Community fishing flexibility; increases in financial advances to shipowners; strengthening of technical conditions (introduction of annual biological rest periods, reduction of fishing zones and authorised secondary catches, increased mesh openings on nets and compulsory unloading); increase in the number of observers and Senegalese sailors on Community boats.