Cabo Verde

The current fisheries partnership agreement between the EU and Cabo Verde entered into force on 20.3.2007 and it is tacitly renewed. The last protocol implementing the agreement entered into force on 20 May 2019 following the expiration of the previous protocol in December 2018.

This protocol implementing the fisheries agreement that is part of the tuna network fisheries agreements in West Africa.

The new protocol will cover a period of 4 years and will offer fishing opportunities for tuna and tuna-like species in Cabo Verdean waters to 69 EU vessels from Spain, Portugal and France. 

In return, the EU will pay Cabo Verde a financial contribution of €550,000 per year in the first two years of application of the protocol and of €500,000 per year in the last two years. Half of this yearly contribution will be earmarked to promote the sustainable management of fisheries in Cabo Verde, including reinforcement of control and surveillance capacities, and to support the local fishing communities.

The protocol will enter into force when the necessary legislative procedures for its conclusion have been completed.

Duration of the agreement

Tacitly renewed since 2007

Duration of the protocol

5 years (20.05.2019-19.05.2024)

Nature of the SFPA

Tuna fishery agreement 

Financial contribution

An annual contribution of €750,000 out of which €350,000 to support the fisheries sector of Cabo Verde.

Fee for ship owners

It is estimated that the fees payable by vessel owners for the fishing authorisations amount to €600,000 per year.
First two years of application: €55 per tonne caught (purse seiners, longliners and pole-and-line vessels)
Last two years of application: €65 per tonne caught (purse seiners, longliners and pole-and-line vessels).

Fishing opportunities

The protocol considers the following fishing opportunities for EU vessels

• 28 freezer tuna seiners
• 14 pole-and-line tuna vessels
• 27 surface longliners

These fishing opportunities target fishing for highly migratory species listed in Annex I to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), within the limits set in appendix 2 of this protocol and with the exception of species which are protected or prohibited within the framework of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) or other international conventions.

Reference tonnage

8 000 t. /year
 

The first fisheries agreement concluded between the EU and Cabo Verde dates back to 1990.

Current legal framework

 Adopted by Council Regulation (EC) No 2027/2006 of 19.12.2006 (OJ L414 30.12.2006)

Protocol: Adopted by Council Decision (EU) 2019/951 of 17.5.2019 (OJ L 154, 12.6.2019) 

Allocation of fishing opportunities, adopted by Council Regulation (EU) 2019/952 of 17.5.2019