Guinea-Bissau and EU forge new 5-year fishing agreement
GUINEA-BISSAU – Guinea-Bissau and the European Union (EU) are currently solidifying a new five-year fishing agreement, finalized mid-May.
The agreement is signed by Mario Musante, Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, and Artis Bertulis, the EU ambassador in the country, according to Portuguese media outlet Lusa.
Under this partnership, the EU is committing to provide 100 million euros (US$108.7M) to support the development of Guinea-Bissau’s fishing sector over five years – this amounts to 20 million euros (US$22M) annually.
These funds will be directed toward building essential infrastructure, enhancing maritime surveillance, combating illegal and unregulated fishing, and aiding maritime communities, as highlighted by Mr. Bertulis.
In exchange, Guinea-Bissau is allowing vessels from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece to fish in its waters.
According to Guinea-Bissau’s representatives, the new protocol not only improves financial terms but also opens up new avenues for collaboration.
Ongoing discussions with European partners aim to remove technical and health barriers to enable Guinea-Bissau to export fish directly to European markets.
Fishing is a major export for Guinea-Bissau, along with fruits, vegetables, and meat- in 2022, fish exports generated 500 million CFA francs (US$829,000) in revenue, according to data from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).
Despite this, the industry faces significant challenges, particularly illegal fishing.
Reports indicate that trawlers often encroach on areas reserved for small-scale fishing, catching a variety of fish, discarding unwanted species back into the sea, and thereby damaging the marine ecosystem.
Foreign vessels, either chartered or reflagged, dominate industrial fishing in Guinea-Bissau.
These catches are typically landed in other countries, such as the Canary Islands and Senegal, leading to local frustration.
Observers like Badji express concerns over the sustainability of allowing foreign fleets to deplete Guinea-Bissau’s fish stocks without limits.
According to a study by Frontiers in Marine Science, in 2017, legal catches by industrial vessels reached 280,620 tonnes, with an additional illegal catch of 62,000 tonnes.
In contrast, small-scale catches, including artisanal, subsistence, and recreational fishing, have declined significantly from 44,700 tonnes in 2013 to about 27,800 tonnes.
The Institute for Security Studies, a policy think-tank based in South Africa, has also been monitoring this issue.
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