The proposal for a recommendation on the fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal, and its implementation protocol, will be discussed in the European Parliament on December 3d. CFFA and APRAPAM wish to reiterate their positions and recommendations with respect to this agreement.
We welcome the fact that no access was negotiated for sardinella in the SFPA, since the status of this overexploited stock requires measures to be taken towards the reduction of fishing effort. Access to this resource, strategic for food security, should be reserved to sustainable small-scale fisheries.
However, this resource is targeted through other EU fisheries agreements, with Morocco and Mauritania. It is therefore a priority that both EU and Senegal agree to promote a regional management of the exploitation of these resources, with privileged access to fleets operating sustainably, for direct human consumption.
We recall that the measures for real-time reporting capture data and boarding of observers must be implemented for EU tuna vessels and be extended to all fleets currently operating in Senegal.
Furthermore, as the EU should only have access to the surplus of resources identified on the basis of the best scientific data, we request that a scientific study be conducted to define the status of the hake stock, to confirm or deny fishing opportunities for this species to be allocated to EU vessels under this agreement.
We emphasize the need for greater transparency and stakeholder participation, in particular the European and Senegalese Parliaments, professional organisations and civil society organisations, to be adequately informed and consulted throughout the implementation of the Agreement, including by participating as observers in the meetings of the Joint Committee. Particular attention should be given to how sectoral support will be used; its implementation should be subject to an annual evaluation.
Finally, we ask that, in the framework of the EU-Senegal fisheries partnership agreement, a study is conducted on how to make joint ventures operations transparent, without negative impacts on coastal communities, and in line with the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources and preservation of ecosystems in Senegal.