EC/Sao Tome e Principe fisheries agreement: protocol for the period from 1st June 1995 to 31st May 1999

OBJECTIVE: under the existing Agreement between the Community and Sao Tomé and Principe, the fishing opportunities available to the Community fleet and the financial compensation allocated to Sao Tomé and Principe are the subject of periodically renewed protocols. Since the last protocol has now expired, the present text renews the protocol for the period 1 June 1996-31 May 1999. SUBSTANCE: the fishing opportunities opened up under this Protocol primarily concern Spanish, French and Portuguese fishermen. The proposal for a Council Decision allocates fishing opportunities among the three fleets as follows: - France: fishing licences for 18 freezer tuna seiners and 7 tuna canning vessels; - Spain: licences for 19 freezer tuna seiners and 20 surface longliners; - Portugal: licences for 5 surface longliners. In return for these fishing opportunities, the financial compensation provided to Sao Tomé and Principe is ECU 1.8 m, which covers an annual weight of catch of 9 000 tonnes. The following are added to this compensation: - the EC contribution to the financing of scientific and technical programmes concerning the economic area of Sao Tomé and Principe (ECU 187.500); - the provision to the authorities of that State of scholarships and practical training in the various disciplines related to fisheries (ECU 35 000); - the contribution to the cost of international fisheries meetings (ECU 62 000); - the contribution by Sao Tomé to the Gulf of Guinea regional fisheries committee (ECU 90 000). - The Annexes to the Protocol specify the conditions for issue of licences and the obligations upon Community vessels (fee of ECU 20 per tonne fished, keeping of a fishery log book, regular reporting of their position and catches, obligation to accede to the request made by the coastal State for the boarding of observers). �