Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment, Isabel Garcia Tejerina. (Photo: Magrama)

EU-Mauritania agreement implies success for the Spanish fleet, ensures Govt

SPAIN
Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 21:40 (GMT + 9)

To the Spanish Government, the commitments reached in the Extraordinary Joint Commission of the fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mauritania imply a success for the Spanish fleet and for the sustainable management of fishing surpluses in this country.

This was stated yesterday by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment, Isabel Garcia Tejerina, in the control Session to the Government in the Senate.

Specifically, the minister ensured that these agreements will make it possible to offer an important alternative for the Spanish trawlers by authorizing their return to the Mauritanian fishing ground.

In this sense, she recalled how in the current Protocol, signed in July 2015, the Spanish delegation succeeded in including the possibility of introducing a fishing mode, the freezing demersal one. To do this, it was necessary to determine whether there was surplus available, which was confirmed in the joint scientific committee held in September 2016.

At the same time, Spain has worked within the EU to obtain a commitment to increase the expenses with which to negotiate new fishing opportunities. This negotiation has concluded with the inclusion of this new category, which will allow the entry of six Spanish freezer trawlers, which will have a total catch of up to 6,938 tonnes per year, stressed Garcia Tejerina.

According to the minister, 3,500 tonnes of black hake quota, 1,450 tonnes of squid, 600 tonnes of cuttlefish and an additional 25 per cent of by-catches.

On the other hand, she considered it "very satisfactory" the use of the agreement for the other fishing categories in which the Spanish fleet participates.

In particular, in the categories of black hake and other similar species, the consumption of the available quota will reach the maximum possible. In fact, for the category of fresh hake trawling demersal, the consumption has reached 100 per cent.

Meanwhile, in the shellfish category, she expressed her trust that the good state of the resources will make the vessels operating in other fishing grounds return to this one.

Regarding the use of permits in the categories of tuna vessels and other highly migratory species, the figure reaches almost 70 per cent of the opportunities attributed to Spain.

In short, Garcia Tejerina believes that the work carried out over the last two years has led to a new protocol of fisheries agreement with Mauritania, suspended since the end of 2014, with important improvements in the categories of shellfish and black hake. In addition, the inclusion of a new category "reinforces this achievement, by favouring the return of part of the cephalopods vessels that left in 2012".

Related articles:

- More European trawlers will be able to fish in Mauritanian waters
- The Spanish fleet ensures operations in Mauritania and Liberia

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