EC/Solomon Islands Fisheries Partnership Agreement

PURPOSE: to conclude a Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Solomon Islands.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2010/763/EU on the conclusion of a Fisheries partnership Agreement between the European Union and Solomon Islands.

CONTENT: the Community negotiated with Solomon Islands a Fisheries Partnership Agreement providing EU vessels with fishing opportunities in the waters over which Solomon Islands has sovereignty or jurisdiction in respect of fisheries. As a result of those negotiations, a new Fisheries Partnership Agreement was initialled on 26 September 2009 and, by Council Decision No 2010/397/EU the Fisheries Partnership Agreement has been signed and provisionally applied since 9 October 2009.

This Decision approves concludes the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Solomon Islands.

The Agreement establishes the principles, rules and procedures governing:

• economic, financial, technical and scientific cooperation in the fisheries sector with a view to promoting responsible fishing in Solomon Islands fishing zone to guarantee the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fishery resources and developing Solomon Islands fisheries sector;
• the conditions governing access by EU fishing vessels to Solomon Islands fishing zone;
• cooperation on the arrangements for policing fisheries in Solomon Islands fishing zone with a view to ensuring that the above rules and conditions are complied with, that the measures for the conservation and management of fishery resources are effective and that illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing is prevented;
• partnerships between companies aimed at developing economic activities in the fisheries sector and related activities, in the common interest.

Fisheries protocol: a protocol is provided which set out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Community and Solomon Islands for the period 2009- 2012. It’s main measures may be summarised as follows:

Financial contribution: the financial contribution under the Protocol is set at EUR 400 000 per year, corresponding to fishing opportunities in the tuna highly migratory species. 50% of this financial contribution is earmarked for the support and implementation of objectives identified in the context of the sectoral fisheries policy drawn up by the Solomon Islands authorities.

If the overall quantity of catches by EU vessels in Solomon Islands’ fishing zones exceeds the reference tonnage, the amount of the annual financial contribution shall be increased by EUR 65 for each additional tonne caught. However, the total annual amount paid by the EU may not exceed EUR 800 000).

Fishing opportunities: 4 purse seiners will be authorised to fish. No fishing possibilities for longliners have been negotiated.

Duration: the Agreement shall apply for three years from the date of its entry into force; it shall be tacitly renewed for three-year periods, unless notice of termination is given in accordance with the text.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 06/12/2010. The date of entry into force of the Agreement will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.