Ships from Dakartuna moored in Senegal

The tuna pole-and-line fleet moored in Senegal asks Commissioner Sinkevicius for the corresponding aid in case of extraordinary cause or force majeure

• The fleet declares that it is in an imminent bankruptcy situation

• The Dakartuna boats have not been able to fish for 22 months due to Senegal's veto on their entry into Han Bay to stock up on live bait, a situation to which was added the unilateral decision of the African country not to issue new licenses to European ships

Madrid - The tuna pole-and-line fleet integrated into the Dakartuna association has requested the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, the payment of the corresponding aid in the event of extraordinary cause or force majeure, as it finds itself in a situation of practically imminent bankruptcy . The fleet has made this request after six months
unable to carry out its activity due to Senegal's refusal to issue the corresponding licenses and obliged, however, to meet current expenses.

Despite the fact that the Dakartuna shipowners, integrated into the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (Cepesca), paid in November 2021 the amount of the corresponding licenses to fish under the existing fishing agreement between the EU and the African country, it has not been until this month of June that Senegal has proceeded with its expedition since the meeting of the Joint Commission of the EU and Senegal held on March 24 and 25 did not manage to unblock the situation. On the contrary, at that meeting Dakartuna was required to pay a debt amounting to 12,753 euros from the fishing vessel Kermantxo, outside the association that brings together the ships Pilar Torre, Iribar Zulaika, Corona del Mar and Bearriz San Francisco.

According to Miguel Ángel Solana, owner of the ship 'Pilar Torre' and president of Dakartuna, "this June we have received the licences, but as a result of the situation experienced during all these months we find ourselves in a situation of imminent bankruptcy, which makes it impossible to the payment for the dismissal of 75 Senegalese sailors and another hundred people who had been carrying out different jobs and we cannot afford the payments to reactivate the activity such as consignee or port expenses, purchase of diesel or water. "After five months of forced unemployment", - adds Solana - "we cannot access financing to carry out our activity".

In total, the Dakartuna boats have not been able to fish regularly for 22 months due to Senegal's veto on their entry into Han Bay to stock up on live bait, a situation to which was added the unilateral decision of the African country not to issue new licenses to European ships. In this situation, Dakartuna asks the European Commission to pay, urgently and retroactively from January, the aid established in the protocol of the fishing agreement between the EU and Senegal in the event of extraordinary causes or force majeure.

Manuel Herreia, Jesús Mari Amunarriz, Aitor Bordagaray, Haritz Alkorta and Aitor Unanue, together with two of the boats moored in Dakar. Photo: courtesy elDiario.es/Euskadi

The pole-and-line fleet grouped in Dakartuna regularly fishes in Senegalese waters, and under the fishing agreement established by the EU and the African country in July 2019, tropical tuna species, such as skipjack, yellowfin or bigeye. The fishing agreement between the EU and Senegal is for a period of five years and involves an annual contribution by the EU of 1.7 million euros: 800,000 euros for access to Senegalese waters and the remaining amount to support the country's fisheries management policy.

Related news:

• The pole-and-line fleet denounces its helpless situation by not being able to fish in Senegal

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