The European Parliament approved by 570 votes to 38, with 77 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on an extension to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2020.
Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement.
The aim of the Exchange of Letters is to enable the EU and Mauritania to continue working together to promote a sustainable fisheries policy, the sound exploitation of fisheries resources in Mauritanian waters and to allow EU vessels to fish in those waters.
The purpose of the Agreement is to extend for one year the Protocol currently in force setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Mauritania, pending the conclusion of negotiations on the renewal of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol.
The protocol allows for fishing opportunities in the following categories:
- vessels fishing for crustaceans other than spiny lobster and crab: 5 000 tonnes and 25 vessels;
- black hake (non-freezer) trawlers and bottom longliners: 6 000 tonnes and 6 vessels;
- black hake (freezer) trawlers: (black hake: 3 500 tonnes, squid: 1 450 tonnes, cuttlefish: 600 tonnes);
- vessels fishing for demersal species other than black hake with gear other than trawls: 3 000 tonnes and 6 vessels;
- tuna seiners: 12 500 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 25 vessels;
- pole-and-line tuna vessels and longliners: 7 500 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 15 vessels;
- pelagic freezer trawlers: 225 000 tonnes (may be exceeded by a maximum of 10%) and 19 vessels;
- non-freezer pelagic vessels: 15 000 tonnes (deducted from volume under category 6 if used) and 2 vessels.
The extension of the Protocol does not change the current fishing opportunities.
The EU’s financial contribution is EUR 61 625 000 for one year, divided up as follows:
- an annual amount for access to fisheries resources fixed at EUR 57 500 000;
- an annual amount for support for the development of Mauritania's sectoral fisheries policy of EUR 4 125 000, to help it meet the objectives of its national policy for the sustainable management of continental and marine fisheries resources.