Brussels, 03/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - Wednesday, the European Commission adopted proposals for a new fishing protocol concluded last July between the Community and Angola for a three year period (3 August 2002-2 August 2004). This new protocol (the ninth since the entry into force of the fishing agreement between the EU and Angola in 1987) is, from a Community fishing opportunity point of view, the second most important after the agreement signed with Mauritania.
Fishing opportunities include: 33 tuna fishing boats (ten less that in the last protocol) 15 of which are refrigerated tuna purse liners (6 French boats and 9 Spanish) and 18 surface longliners (14 from Spain and 4 from Portugal); shrimp trawlers with an average monthly gross tonnage of 6550, given that fishing quantities cannot exceed 5000 tones of shrimps (30% of which are pink shrimps and 70% grey shrimp; 2 boats (Netherlands and Ireland) for pelagic fishing during a six month trial period; - 4,200 in gross tonnage every month for demersal fishing (trawls, deep water long lines, fixed gillnets).
The agreement also sets out a biological rest period, which can be worked out every year for shrimp fishing. Secondary fishing for prawns is up to the shipowners, who are allowed to fish for up to 500 tons of crab a year.
Funding has increased from EUR 13.975 million during the last protocol to EUR 15.5 million annually (according to the Commission, EUR 5.525 million are for actions aimed at "ensuring the development of sustainable fishing". Reimbursement is set at EUR 52 per ton per month for the shrimp trawlers and EUR 220 per ton annually for demersal fishing. Reimbursement is applicable to tuna fishing vessels and surface longliners are set at EUR 25 per ton for catches in the Angola fishing zone.