A new deal with Mozambique, which licenses fishing opportunities to 75 EU vessels from Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and the UK, was backed by Parliament in a vote last week.
The deal, which has applied provisionally since 1 February 2012, will remain in force until 31 January 2015.
Since overall catches by EU vessels in Mozambique’s waters in recent years have been below the levels assigned to them, the deal reduces the reference tonnage from 10,000 to 8,000t per year, but allows the ceiling to be raised if necessary. Accordingly, the number of EU vessels allowed to fish in these waters will be reduced from 89 to 75 – 43 tuna seiners and 32 surface longliners.
Under the deal the EU will pay Mozambique 980,000 per year – 520,000 for access to its waters and 460,000 to develop its fisheries policy.
One third of all EU vessels authorised to fish in Mozambican waters will have to undergo an annual inspection in a Mozambican port before starting to fish. From 1 July 2012, an electronic logbook system will be introduced to record and transmit catch reports and a Mozambican scientific institute will help to verify catch data.
The deal also requires EU vessel owners to hire at least two Mozambican seamen per seiner and one per longliner, or pay a fine of 30 per day if they fail to do so.
Mercator Media Ltd 2012