The EU Cabinet formally approved to extend –for a year- the tuna fishing agreement with Ivory Coast. The new fishing deal was initialled on Monday between the European Union and Ivory Coast and will benefit the Spanish fleet, as well as French and Portuguese vessels.
The agreement will be prolonged from July 1st 2003 until June 30th 2004 and allows the concession of fishing licenses for the Spanish, French and Portuguese fleet catching tuna and demersal species, according to a regulation approved by the EU’s fifteen Member States.
Demersal fishery possibilities are based on vessels’ GRT (gross registered tonnage) per month, on an annual level. Spain’s fleet is allowed a gross registry of 600 tons per year.
Tuna fishing will be open to 71 vessels (39 tuna purse seiners, 20 surface longliners and 12 pole and line vessels). Of the 39 tuna seiners, 21 licences are for Spain and 18 for France; of the 20 surface longliners, 15 licenses are for Spain and 5 for Portugal; and concerning the 12 pole and line fishing vessels, 7 licences are for France and 5 for Spain.
In exchange, the EU will provide financial compensation to the amount of 957,500 Euros during this period, of which 275,000 was due to have been paid before December 31st, 2003.
The rest of the reimbursement will allocate measures aiming to develop the fishing sector in the Ivory Coast, promoting technical and scientific programs, monitoring and control, support to the country’s fishing administration, aquiculture programs and support for participation by Ivory Coast in Regional Fisheries Organisations. These measures contribute to sustainable fishing in the waters of Ivory Coast.