Jan
21
MEP Gabriel Mato. (Photo: Gabriel Mato)
Galicia defends return of cephalopod vessels to Mauritanian waters
EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 01:20 (GMT + 9)
The European Parliament (EP) will not give the new fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mauritania the go ahead if on Monday, the Parliament approves the report by MEP Gabriel Mato asking the Council and the European Commission (EC) to renegotiate the pact.
The document warns of economic damage being suffered by the EU fishing sector because of these agreements and questions the negotiating capacity of the EC and the Commissioner of EU Fisheries, Maria Damanaki.
On 26 July 2012, the European Commissioner closed negotiations with the Mauritanian government, ignoring the criticism received from shipowners and the European Parliament.
After the signing, the pact sentenced to 24 Galician cephalopod vessels, most of them from O Morrazo, to leave their fishing activity in the African fishery, newspaper La Voz de Galicia informed.
Under the fisheries agreement, Mauritania prohibits octopus fishing alleging that the resource is overexploited.
However, an investigation by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) found no evidence of over exploitation, and verified that its conservation, in terms of biomass, is at a level of “maximum sustainable yield”.
“The Commission has been cheating us with the reports. First we were told that it was forbidden because of overexploitation and when it was shown that it was not like that, they recognized that Mauritania was reserving the resource for its fleet,” said Mato, who also serves as president of the EP Fisheries Committee.
He added, “I do not doubt the good will of the Commission, but Damanaki has made a mistake ignoring the fishing industry and Parliament.”
After the submission of the report, experts are likely to express their views.
It is expected the presence of the president of the Association of National Organisations of Fishery Enterprises in the European Union, (Europêche), Javier Garat; the manager of Marin Shipowners Association (Galicia), Juan Carlos Martín Fragueiro; President of the Artisanal Section of the Mauritanian National Fisheries Federation , Sid ‘Ahmed Abeid; Benoît Caillart, research director of Oceanic Developpement company; and Gerard Van Balsfoort, President of the Pelagic Freezer-Trawler Association, Europa Press agency informed.
Mato said that the current protocol provides a higher starting financial envelope than the previous one, to EUR 110 million a year. Of this amount, EUR 70 million is provided by the EU and the rest, by the industry, by way of fees for fishing licenses.
In this regard, he claimed that for the shipowners, it would mean an increased cost of around 300 and 400 per cent.
Damanaki emphasized that the signed agreement can be reviewed in a year, and that the cephalopod vessels could return to fish in Mauritania, La Opinion reports.
But according to Mato, “this is unlikely because the EC has stated that this protocol is the best result that could be obtained.”
“It’s hard to imagine that the situation will improve once the payment has been made effective,” the parliamentarian added.
Related article:
– EP’s Fisheries Committee Chairman calls to reject agreement with Mauritania
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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