The European Union and Mauritius signed a new protocol in early September 2022 extending their 2014 Fisheries Partnership Agreement, opening up fishing opportunities for fishing vessels from France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy through 2026.
Under the agreement, an E.U. fleet comprising 40 tuna-seiners, 45 surface longliners and a maximum of 20 supply vessels will access 4,000 metric tons (MT) of tuna and tuna-like species from the waters of Mauritius in exchange for EUR 287,500 (USD 287,851), 62 percent of which has been earmarked for the development of Mauritius’ sectoral fisheries policy.
“The new protocol will enable them [E.U. and Mauritius] to work more closely on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy, in line with the objective of conserving marine biological resources recognized in E.U. law, a sound exploitation of fishery resources in Mauritian waters, and Mauritius’ efforts to develop its sustainable ocean economy, in the interests of both parties,” the E.U. said in a 16 September statement.
On 5 April, 2022, the E.U. and Mauritius agreed to extend the previous protocol by six months following the adoption by the European Council on 28 September, 2021 of a decision authorizing the European Commission to open negotiations for a new protocol “with the option of a limited prolongation of the current protocol to avoid interruption of the fishing activities.”
“Due to the restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic and the complex nature of the negotiations, both parties agreed to extend the Protocol 2017-2021 for a maximum period of six months, in line with the said council decision,” the E.U. said.
The fishing opportunities established under the new protocol gives Spain the opportunity to deploy 34 fishing vessels in Mauritius' exclusive economic zone, including 22 purse-seiners and 12 surface longliners.
France’s share of the newly negotiated protocol allows it to deploy 45 vessels, including 16 purse-seiners and 29 surface longliners, while Portugal has been allowed four surface longliners and and Italy has been allowed to deploy two purse-seiners.
Since 2014, the agreement has provided E.U. ship owners with predictable access to a productive fishing area where targeted species are abundant, according to the E.U. statement.
“Access to Mauritius’ waters provide the E.U. longline fleet based in La Réunion with opportunities to extend fishing areas to neighboring waters,” the E.U. said. “The activities of the E.U. tuna fleet in Mauritius’ waters and in the broader Indian Ocean have generated substantial positive socioeconomic impacts for Mauritius, and the E.U. financial contribution has been broadly aligned with the fishing opportunities exploited.”
During the 2018-2020 period, when the former protocol was in force, fishing opportunities were used by an annual average of 45 vessels comprising 27 tuna purse seiners and 18 small-scale surface liners, based in La Réunion.
An estimated 500,000 MT of tuna caught by the E.U. fleet in all the Indian Ocean is annually processed by the Mauritian cannery industry, despite reports indicating only an average of 3,500 MT of the species is caught in Mauritian waters.
Photo courtesy of MarinTrust
