Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 6 • Number 11 • 16th June 2006
EU, Sao Tome and Principe Sign Fisheries Agreement
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The European Commission and Sao Tome and Principe have signed a four-year fisheries partnership agreement (FPA) that will replace the previous agreement, which ended on 31 May. The new agreement will last until 31 May 2010 and come into effect retroactively for 1 June once it is approved by the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council and the relevant authorities of Sao Tome and Principe. Under the previous agreement the EU had paid EUR75 per ton of fish taken from Sao Tome and Principe’s water while the private sector European fishing fleet had paid EUR25. Under the new agreement the contribution by the European boat owners has been increased to EUR35 a ton, while the EU contribution has been reduced to EUR65. In the new regime, fishing opportunities will be provided exclusively for tuna to 43 vessels as opposed to 61 under the previous agreement. The EU has also agreed to a flat-rate financial contribution of EUR663,000 per year, which includes EUR552,500 per year for European access to up to 8,500 tons of tuna from Sao Tome and Principe’s exclusive economic zone. Any additional catches beyond this overall amount will be paid retrospectively. The total also includes a specific additional annual allocation of EUR110,500 to support Sao Tome and Principe’s national fisheries management policy. The technical conditions governing tuna fishing have also been revised to take into account the practices specific to highly-migratory species fisheries, including requirements for the presence of regional observers and obligations to hire fishermen from the African, Caribbean and Pacific region. The government of Sao Tome and Principe said it would to dedicate 50 percent of the total financial contribution — that is, EUR331,500 — to the promotion of sustainable fisheries in their waters, and that it would engage in active dialogue on the fisheries policy of the country with the EU.
ICTSD Reporting; “EU and Sao Tome e Principe initial new fisheries partnership agreement”, EU PRESS RELEASE, 8 June 2006; “EU and Sao Tome e Principe initial new fisheries partnership agreement,” FISHUPDATE, 9 June 2006.
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