EC/Guinea-Bissau fisheries agreement: protocol for the period from 16 June 1997 to 15 June 2001

OBJECTIVE: to conclude a new fisheries protocol between the Community and Guinea-Bissau laying down the technical and financial conditions for fishing by Community vessels in the latter's waters, from 16.06.1997 to 15.06.2001. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Regulation (EC) No 2615/97 on the conclusion of the Protocol establishing the fishing possibilities and the financial compensation provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for the period 16.06.1997 to 15.06.2001. SUBSTANCE: The protocol provides for the following fishing possibilities: .licences for freezer shrimp trawlers: 9600 gross registered tonnes (grt) per year, .licences for freezer fin-fish and cephalopod trawlers: 3000 grt per year, .licences for 37 freezer tuna seiners, .licences for 52 pole-and-line tuna vessels and surface longliners. An annex to the protocol lays down the conditions governing fishing by Community vessels in Guinea-Bissau's fishing zone, particularly the formalities applicable to applications for and the issue of licences (including the fee payable per type of vessel), conditions applicable to statements of catch and by-catches, fishing zones, authorized meshes, and measures to be taken with regard to the signing-on of seamen and taking observers on board. In return, Guinea-Bissau will receive ECU 34 000 000 in financial compensation, payable in 4 equal annual instalments of ECU 8 500 000. If the state of fish stocks permits, fishing possibilities for shrimp trawlers and fin-fish and cephalopod trawlers may be increased at the request of the Community by successive instalments of 1000 grt per year. In this case, the financial compensation will be increased proportionately. In addition to this financial compensation, the Community will contribute: .ECU 300 000 towards the financing of scientific and technical programmes to develop fisheries; .ECU 400 000 for study and practical training awards to improve the skills of Guinean fishermen in the Community, .the Community is also to contribute a total of ECU 1 300 000 to the funding of 3 small local programmes. In the Regulation, the Council also allocates the fishing possibilities to the Member States, as follows: -shrimps: .Italy: 4000 grt .Portugal: 3200 grt .Spain: 2400 grt -fin-fish/cephalopods: .Italy: 1000 grt .Spain: 2000 grt If licence applications from these Member States do not exhaust the fishing possibilities, the Commission will be authorized to consider licence applications from other Member States. ENTRY INTO FORCE: The protocol enters into force on the date of its signature by the parties and is applicable from 16.06.1997. The Regulation enters into force on 27.12.1997.�