The Gambia

On 31 July 2019, the European Union and The Gambia signed a new, 6-year sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (SFPA) and associated protocol setting out the fishing opportunities for EU vessels, the financial compensation to be paid by the Union and the modalities of sectoral support to the fishing sector of the Gambia. The current protocol to the fisheries partnership agreement covers the period 31.07.2019 – 30.07.2025 with a financial contribution of €550,000 per year during 6 years, out of which a specific contribution of €275,000 is dedicated to the support of the fisheries policy of The Gambia.

This fisheries agreement allows EU vessels from Spain, Greece and France to fish in the Gambian waters and is part of the tuna network fisheries agreements in West Africa.

Duration of the agreement

6 years renewable (31.7.2019 – 30.7.2025)

Duration of the protocol

6 years as of provisional application (31.7.2019 – 30.7.2025)

Provisional application

Yes

Nature of the SFPA

Tuna fishery agreement with a limited demersal component

Financial contribution

€550,000/year for 6 years, out of which €275,000 have been earmarked for the support of The Gambia fisheries policy in order to promote sustainability in its waters.

Fee for ship owners

Tuna: €70 per tonne caught. Hake: €75 per tonne caught.

Advances

Tuna seiners: increasing: €4,200 per year (ref catches: 60 tonnes)

Pole-and-liners: increasing: €1,400 per year (ref catches: 20 tonnes)

Trawlers: €500 per trimester

Other fees

€300 per year for observers; €2,000 per year for support vessel – No prorata temporis. 

Reference tonnage

3,300 t./year

The first fisheries agreement concluded between the EU and The Gambia dates back to 1987.

In accordance with the agreement and its implementing protocol, the two parties encourage scientific cooperation and consult a Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) to strengthen monitoring of the marine biological resources and to examine scientific questions relating to the implementation of the protocol. 

As previously decided by the two Joint Committees, the EU-Senegal and the EU-The Gambia ones, scientific experts from the EU, Senegal and The Gambia have officially joined forces in 2024 in a tripartite JSC. The January 2024 session of the tripartite JSC was the second ordinary session under the current the EU-Senegal implementing protocol (2019-2024) and the first ordinary session of the current EU-The Gambia implementing protocol (2019-2025).  

Reports

Report of the 2024 meeting of the Joint Scientific Committee to the EU-Senegal and EU-Gambia Fisheries Partnership Agreements (official version in French)

Current legal framework

Fisheries partnership agreement Adopted by the Council Decision (EU) 2020/392 of 5 March 2020 (OJ L 75, 11.3.2020)

Council decision (EU) 2019/1332 on the signing and provisional application of the protocol; the protocol was signed on 31 July 2019. 

Council Regulation (EU) No 2019/1333 allocating fishing opportunities

Council decision on the conclusion of the current protocol 

Agreements with non-member countries (EUR-Lex)

EU and The Gambia