The European Parliament adopted by 583 votes to 43, with 60 abstentions, a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Agreement on a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal.
Objectives
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 should 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.
Parliament affirmed that the protocol will make it possible to continue the close collaboration between the EU and Senegal in order to guarantee the responsible exploitation of fisheries resources in Senegalese waters and to support Senegal's efforts to establish sustainable management of resources and protect marine biodiversity.
Members welcomed the fact that the protocol takes account of by-catches of sensitive species and stressed the need to further strengthen measures to protect the marine ecosystem. They stressed the central role of trained scientific observers in monitoring by-catches.
Sectoral support
Parliament recommended several priority actions for sector support. These include:
- control and surveillance by modernising the Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) as soon as possible;
- support Senegals efforts in the fight against illegal fishing by means of a monitoring mechanism for vessels calling at the port of Dakar;
- the development of scientific capacity and data collection to enable the Senegalese authorities to take decisions based on the best scientific assessments of existing stocks, and to improve knowledge of marine and coastal ecosystems;
- decent working conditions for all fishers and fisheries-related, in particular for women;
- support for the development of fisheries products and support for small-scale coastal fisheries and communities in Senegal;
- setting up basic and vocational training programmes for scientific observers and seamen;
- strengthening measures to encourage young people to engage in fishing;
Parliament recommended that stakeholders should participate in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of operational programmes by involving and consulting local fishing communities in accordance with Senegalese law.