Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 4 • Number 19 • 21st October 2004

EU and Angola Meet on Fisheries Agreement

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Negotiations on a new Angola-EU Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) stalled in early October, as discussions regarding localisation of the fishing industry grew more heated. The previous fisheries agreement, which began in 2002 and concluded on 1 August 2004, provoked criticism from WWF. The environmental group argued that the absence of quantitative limits in the grants provided by agreement would further threaten resources and a food source in a nation grappling with a food crisis (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 10 October 2002). The October 2004 meeting, which marked a second attempt at negotiating a successor FPA, failed as a result of disagreements over the Angolan government’s efforts in recent months to establish a greater degree of local ownership over their fishery sector. On 23 September 2004, Angola and Cape Verde signed a partnership agreement to jointly explore tuna fishing possibilities on the west coast of Africa, using ten tuna fishing vessels purchased with external financing, particularly from African financial institutions. Angola hopes to continue to pursue joint ventures with domestic and regional bodies in an effort to develop their fishing sector so as to have a stake in all fishing ventures in Angolan waters. It is therefore expected that future FPA agreements would require EU operators to invest locally. This approach was supported in principle by the EU, which said it was in line with European Council conclusions on partnership agreements. However, they criticised the Angolan policy process, saying that in order to secure temporary investment Angola was rushing into fishing partnerships without a comprehensive management policy, security provisions for investors or capacity to monitor fleets. The EU expressed concern over the sustainability of Angolan fisheries, given what they view as excessive concessions that are often involved in such joint ventures and other issues analysed as part of the EU’s pre-negotiations sustainability analysis. The third round of negotiations on the FPA is expected to take place at the end of 2004.

ICTSD reporting; “Fisheries partnership between Cape Verde and Angola,” AFROL NEWS, 23 September 2004.