Brussels, 03/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 23 December, the European Commission adopted a proposal listing the provisions of a three-year fisheries agreement signed in June 2004 between the EU and Tanzania. The new agreement is important for the Community tuna fleet since it is part of a series of agreements on tuna in the Indian Ocean. It provides for a system of control and surveillance which has hitherto never existed in Tanzania. In 1990, the EU and Tanzania initialled an agreement on tuna but it was never ratified because of constitutional and internal political problems in Tanzania. In 2003, the two parties sought to resume relations with regard to fisheries. Following exploratory talks and three series of negotiations, a new agreement was initialled on 4 June 2004.
The agreement protocol grants fishing possibilities for tuna and other migratory species, such as swordfish, for 39 seine netters (22 licences for Spain, 16 for France and one for Italy) and 31 longliners (27 for Spain and 4 for Portugal). Financial compensation to be paid by the EU was set at 600,000 euro per year for 8,000 tonnes caught per year. 390,000 euro per year will finance targeted actions, such as control and surveillance measures and the development of local, small-scale fisheries.
The agreement also allows for: - an exclusivity clause banning private licences and any other arrangement on the part of Community ship owners; - the requirement on the part of the Community fleet operating in Tanzanian fisheries zones to take on at least thirty local fishermen; - permission to fish more than 12 miles from the coast; - banning of throwing by-catches back into the sea; - sanctions for failure to abide by the protocol and current Tanzanian law.