Commissioner of Fisheries of the European Union (EU), Maria Damanaki, admitted that negotiations for a new fisheries agreement with Gabon are blocked, so that the Community fleet should withdraw from the African country’s waters.
The previous agreement expired on 2 December, 2011 and granted 40 fishing licenses to European vessels, mostly under Spanish flag.
The main differences between Brussels and the Government of Gabon focus on a clause for the respect of Human Rights and the payment of financial compensation for the fish catches.
In a written statement by Damanaki in answer to PN MEP, Izaskun Bilbao, the Commissioner argues that the two rounds of negotiations failed to make much progress.
“Both sides felt that it needed more time for reflection”, Damanaki acknowledged.
The next step is for all EU vessels to “leave” the waters of Gabon.
Fisheries Commissioner recalled that the agreement stated that “it is impossible to issue fishing permits to European vessels outside the agreement, even without the protocol”, Europa Press informed.
Days ago, Bilbao had asked the Commissioner to seek quick solutions to renew the bilateral protocol, because that fishing area was “the main fishing ground of the Basque Atlantic Fleet.”
The fisheries agreement offered a compensation of EUR 860,000 to Gabon in exchange for licenses for 24 tuna seiners and 16 surface longliners.
Of that total, Spain received 12 licenses for its tuna boats and 13 for its liners; France obtained 12 permits for its tuna purse, and Portugal, three licenses for its longline vessels.
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