Brussels, 13/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has cautiously welcomed the European Commission's plans to reform fishing agreements with developing countries, published at the end of December. The proposals aim to make fishing agreements with developing countries such as Angola and Senegal, where the EU has acquired fishing rights for its ships (see Europe of 21 December, p.9). The conservation organisation warned that this could lead to an expansion of fishing deals which dwindling global fish stocks are unlikely to be able to support. "WWF supports any ideas to make fishing agreements with developing countries more sustainable," said Julie Cator, of WWF's Fisheries Campaign, "But in the absence of an implementation plan it is hard to be sure how and when concrete improvements will be put in place. The European Commission needs to demonstrate that this is a genuine move towards sustainability and not just a re-branding exercise to justify an expansion of overseas fishing". The WWF points out that it is not against fisheries agreements, but does not believe that the world's fish stocks can sustain a major increased in fishing activities by the EU or anyone else.