AA / Tunis / Fatma Ben Amor
The fishing agreement between Senegal and the European Union (EU), which allows European fishing boats to operate in Senegalese waters, ends tomorrow Sunday, November 17 at midnight, five years after the start of its application. Senegal and the European Union both claim to be behind the termination of the agreement.
“Our friends in the European Union organized a press conference to tell the whole world that they have decided to no longer sign the fishing agreements with the government of Senegal. This is an absolute untruth,” declared last Wednesday the Senegalese Minister of Higher Education, Abdourahmane Diouf, during an electoral meeting of the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef), in the suburbs of Dakar.
“It is the government of Senegal (…) which gave the signal a long time ago to tell them that we cannot continue to sign with [eux] fishing agreements which will impoverish Senegal’s fishermen”, he added.
The day before, the EU had announced that “the protocol implementing the fishing agreement between Senegal and the European Union (EU) expires on November 17, 2024, five years after the start of its application” .
“Due to the failures observed in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the EU cannot consider renewing the protocol until there is sufficient progress by Senegal in this area” , could we read on the official website of the Delegation of the European Union to Senegal.
The same source specifies that “on May 27, 2024, the European Commission pre-identified Senegal as a non-cooperating country in the fight against IUU fishing”.
“A formal dialogue between the Senegalese and European authorities on IUU fishing issues has opened, with the aim of resolving the problems identified. Pending a favorable development, the fishing agreement between the EU and Senegal will not be renewed. European vessels will therefore have to leave Senegal’s waters when the protocol expires on November 17, and Senegal will no longer receive a financial contribution under the fishing agreement. the Delegation of the European Union to Senegal.
As a reminder, the Senegalese Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, head of the Pastef coalition list in the legislative elections this Sunday, November 17, had promised at the beginning of November, during a meeting in Mbour, to renegotiate the fishing agreements between Senegal and the European Union so that the country’s fishing resources benefit the Senegalese more, comments reported by the Senenews information site.
He announced, at the same time, that “with the election of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal has already informed the European Union of its desire to revise these agreements, in order to ensure that at least 80% of fishing resources benefit Senegal”, according to the same source.
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