EU/Senegal Fisheries Partnership Agreement: implementation of the Agreement. Protocol

The European Parliament adopted by 524 votes to 47, with 115 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Agreement on a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal.

Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the protocol.

Negotiations for a new five-year protocol started on 19 July 2019 and the concluded sustainable fisheries partnership has been provisionally applied since its signature on 18 November 2019.

In line with the priorities of the fisheries policy reform, the new protocol provides fishing opportunities for EU vessels in Senegalese waters, based on the best available scientific advice and in compliance with the recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

The new Protocol covers a period of five years and provides fishing opportunities for EU vessels (28 freezer tuna seiners, 10 pole-and-line vessels, 5 longliners and 2 trawlers) corresponding to a reference tonnage of 10 000 tonnes of tuna per year and an authorised catch of black hake of 1 750 tonnes per year.

The financial contribution shall be EUR 3 050 750 per year, broken down as follows: EUR 800 000 per year for access to resources, EUR 900 000 per year for the implementation of the sectoral policy and EUR 1 350 750 per year corresponding to the estimated amount of the appropriate fees to be paid by shipowners.