The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment has publicly welcomed the ratification of the protocols of the fisheries agreements with Mauritania and Liberia, which took place at the plenary session of the European Parliament.
In this regard, it noted that the new protocol to the fisheries agreement with Mauritania represents significant improvements over the previous one, in terms of fishing possibilities, areas and periods as well as in terms of economic return.
The protocol, in provisional implementation since last November 16, has allowed shellfish freezer trawlers, bottom longliners for black hake and other demersal species, tuna seiners, surface pole and line vessels and longliners, up to a total of 50 Spanish ships, to return to one of the best fishing grounds in the Atlantic.
With a duration of four years, it will, on the one hand, make it possible to ensure the stability of the groundfish fleet, with few alternatives for its activity and on the other, to complete the network of agreements in the Atlantic to those fleets that direct their activity to highly migratory species.
In addition, the Ministry pointed out that the completion of the ratification process will make it possible to hold the first joint commission under the agreement on the next May 30 and 31. The meeting, among other issues, will be intended to address the possible new capture mode for surplus demersal species requested by Spain during the negotiation, which could allow some of the cephalopod trawlers that were forced to leave in 2012 to return to the fishing ground.
With regard to the new fisheries agreement between the EU and Liberia, the Ministry emphasized that it offers fishing opportunities for 16 tuna purse seiners and 6 pole and line vessels that are Spanish, thus completing the network of Agreements of the Atlantic.
