THE European Union is demanding an increase of up to 60 per cent in the
amount of fish its trawlers are allowed to catch off West Africa. Conservation
scientists are appalled by the proposals. They say these waters are already
seriously overfished, and that such large catches will be unsustainable.
The demand comes as the EU is proposing to drastically cut its fishing fleet
to save dwindling fish stocks in the North Sea.
Nutrient-rich cold water rises to the surface along 2000 kilometres of the
Atlantic coast from Morocco to Guinea-Bissau, making this one of the world last
great fisheries. But since the arrival of foreign trawlers, particularly from
the EU, in the past decade, fish stocks have crashed.
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鈥淚t is clear there is overfishing throughout the region,鈥� says Pierre
Campredon, a French marine biologist who advises the Mauritanian government on
fisheries. 鈥淎nd there is huge wastage. Shrimp trawlers often throw back more
unwanted fish than they catch.鈥�
Several hundred trawlers from Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and other EU
nations operate in the zone under licences negotiated between the EU and West
African governments. The three largest licences, covering waters controlled by
Mauritania, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, are up for renewal this year.
Europe is pushing for big increases. In the first negotiations of the year,
which continued in Dakar this week, EU negotiators have asked Senegal for a 61
per cent increase in licensed catch from the end of April, according to
Senegalese negotiators.
Senegal鈥檚 fish stocks are 鈥渁t a critical moment鈥� says Amadou Wade of Fenagie
Peche, the country鈥檚 fisheries federation. 鈥淭here is pillage, both by Senegalese
and foreign boats.鈥� Foreign trawlers, dominated by the EU, take 100,000 tonnes
of fish from Senegalese waters each year, Wade says.
The negotiations with Senegal are likely to set a precedent for talks in the
coming weeks with its neighbour Mauritania, which has the richest fishing
grounds in the region.
West African governments feel under pressure to oblige the EU, says
Campredon. 鈥淭hese countries have large debts. They say they cannot refuse the EU
for that reason.鈥� Wade, one of Sengal鈥檚 negotiators, says that 鈥渢he EU could
refuse to let us have access to its markets for trade if we don鈥檛 comply鈥�.
The revelations come at an embarrassing time for the EU, which has a policy
of supporting sustainable fisheries. Last week, the European Commission
announced plans to cut the EU fleet by 40 per cent and radically overhaul its
fisheries policy, including its negotiations with foreign governments.
Otherwise, it warned, 鈥渢he status of the Community as a responsible
international player will be undermined鈥�.
EU fisheries spokesman Gregor Kreuzhuber this week refused to discuss the
detail of the negotiations. 鈥淭he Commission hasn鈥檛 formally mentioned figures,鈥�
he said. 鈥淎ny final agreement will be subject to an assessment of the
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