The EU renews the fisheries agreement with Cape Verde for the next five years

 The European Union and Cape Verde have just renewed their fishing agreement that allows 56 ships from Spain, France and Portugal to fish in the waters of the African country for the next five years, the European Commission said in a statement.

The new protocol will apply provisionally from today and will formally enter into force once it has been ratified by both parties, thus ending a "brief period of interruption" since the previous agreement expired on May 19.

In this way, the 22 tuna seiners, 10 tuna pole and line vessels and 22 surface longliners that will have a fishing license under the agreement to weigh some 7,000 tons of tuna and associated species will be able to return to Cape Verde waters.

The EU's economic contribution under the new protocol is estimated at some 3.9 million euros over the next five years, i.e. 780,000 euros per year, of which 430,000 will be devoted to the development of the African country's fisheries sector, as well as to improving its fisheries control and management system and supporting local fishing communities.

The Community Executive argued that this agreement will promote sustainable management of marine resources, improve food and nutritional security and support the economic diversification of Cape Verde.

The European authorities also stress that the new protocol "responds to Cape Verde's desire to strengthen the industrialization and competitiveness of the sector", while it "should create added value and jobs" by promoting transshipments and landings of catches in the port of Mindelo and encouraging Cape Verdean fishermen and observers to enroll on European vessels.

Finally, the new protocol contains provisions to improve the monitoring of vessels, the management of fishing authorizations and the management measures for the shark population.