Spanish vessels fishing in Mauritanian waters. (Photo Credit: La Moncloa)

Part of European fleet may continue fishing in Mauritania

EUROPEAN UNION
Thursday, July 31, 2014, 22:10 (GMT + 9)

The European Union (EU) and Mauritania have reached an agreement that will allow EU vessels fishing for shrimp and small pelagic fish in the Mauritanian fishing ground to continue doing so until 15 December, 2014.

However, European ships that since August 2012 have been catching tuna and demersal species during a transition period, must leave the African country waters today.

The bilateral decision implies a partial victory for the community fleet as the Mauritanian government had warned that all European vessels had to leave the fishery on 1 August this year.

According to the compromise agreement defined in Nouakchott, European ships will be given the opportunity to continue fishing for 24 months from the first period of the authorization granted to the corresponding segment of the fleet: 2012 for demersal fleets (hake and other black demersal species) and tuna (purse seiner, longliners and pole and line), and 2013 for shrimp and small pelagic fish fleets. As a result, demersal and tuna fleets will have to stop fishing from 1 August, while others may continue their activities until 15 December.

The two sides have also agreed to continue negotiations to renew the fisheries protocol and the performance of a fourth round of negotiations in Brussels is expected, according to the European Commission (EC).

During the three rounds of negotiations that have been held so far, the EU and Mauritania showed differences, for example, with respect to the current fisheries agreement expiration date.

For the EU, this protocol would end on 15 December this year while Mauritania insisted that the EU fleet had to leave its waters tomorrow.

The current agreement authorizes 69 EU boats -- Spain, France, the Netherlands and Poland, among others -- to fish in Mauritanian waters in exchange for a financial contribution of EUR 70 million per year. Most of that money -- EUR 67 million -- is used to make up for the catch, and the rest for the development of the local industry.

Further EUR 40 million is added to that amount that was required to be provided by shipowners as fees for fishing in the fishery ground.

The protocol is in effect through 2014 and covers eight categories: pelagic species, demersal species, hake and seafood (shrimp, prawn, lobster and crab) and tuna.

The EU made it clear several times that the new fisheries agreement will have to be negotiated based on the principles of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP): sustainability of the stocks, economic yield of the sector in exchange for access to Mauritanian waters, greater transparency and ensuring the non-discrimination between the European fleet and that of the third countries in Mauritanian fishing ground.

Related article:

- Obstacles to renew fisheries agreement with Mauritania loom

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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