The Mauritania-EU fisheries partnership agreement proposal, initialed end of July by the Mauritanian authorities and the European Commission, will be on the menu when the European Parliament reconvenes on August 28th . It will also be on the table of the next EU Fisheries Ministers Council.
The EU Parliament and Council will have to agree on the content of an agreement described as the most important both in terms of the access provided to EU fleets – about 200 boats are concerned-, and levels of financial compensation, - Mauritania is to receive 86 millions euros/year.
To mark the occasion, Pêchecops (Pour une Pêche Ecologique génératrice de progrès social - Mauritania) and CFFA (Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements – EU) have published an analysis of the issues arising from this agreement, entitled: Mauritania EU Fisheries Partnership Agreement: What impacts on fisheries sustainable development in Mauritania?
This analysis shows that, for some of Mauritania’s overexploited resources, like the octopus, the EU fleets’ proposed access runs contrary to the principles of sustainable development, as enshrined in the EU fisheries Council conclusions on fisheries partnership agreements. Moreover, a large number of the EU fishing vessels operating under the agreement will use destructive and unselective fishing methods, such as trawls, which are, in the Mauritanian coastal zone, a long term threat to the eco-system.
Pêchecops and CFFA are advocating for a real partnership, where EU fleet access is based only on the available surplus of resources that cannot be caught locally. A real partnership should also include increased participation of stakeholders, particularly artisanal fishing sector and civil society.