Overview
Status: Protocol in place
Type of agreement: Mixed
Protocol dates: 18 September 2024 - 17 September 2029
EU total financial contribution: €17 million per year
The EU and Guinea-Bissau have had a fisheries partnership since 1980.
The fisheries partnership agreement (FPA) signed by the European Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau applied from 16 June 2007 until 15 June 2011 and has since been automatically renewed every four years. The current fisheries protocol covers the period from 18 September 2024 to 17 September 2029.
Financial details
EU financial contribution: €17 million per year, with €4.5 million dedicated to supporting the sustainable development of Guinea-Bissau’s fisheries policy.
Fees for operators
- Fees for freezer finfish and cephalopod trawlers: €310 per GRT per year
- Fees for shrimp trawlers: €434 per GRT per year
- Fees for pole and line tuna seiners: €70 per tonne caught
- Fees for tuna seiners: €80 per tonne caught for first two calendar periods, and €85 for following calendar periods.
- Fees for longliners: €70 per tonne caught
Non-refundable advances for operators
- Advance payment for pole and line tuna seiners: €3,600 per vessel per year (reference catches for 51,43 tonnes)
- Advance payment for tuna seiners: €5,500 per vessel per year (reference catches for first two calendar periods are 68,75 tonnes reference catches for following calendar periods are 64,71 tonnes)
- Advance payment for longliners: €3,600 per vessel per year (reference catches for 51,43 tonnes)
- Support vessels in support of freezer tuna seiners and longliners: €5 thousand per year per vessel
Observer fees: €10,000 per year per trawler.
Access to waters
Fishing access: Vessels from Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Portugal can fish in Guinea-Bissau’s waters.
| Fishing opportunities (gross tonnage or number of vessels) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | France | Italy | Greece | Portugal | |
| Freezer finfish and cephalopod trawlers | 3,143 GRT | 786 GRT | 471 GRT | ||
| Shrimp trawlers | 1,421 GRT | 1,776 GRT | 137 GRT | 1 066 GRT | |
| Tuna seiners and longliners | 10 vessels | 9 vessels | 4 vessels | ||
| Pole-and-line tuna seiners | 10 vessels | 4 vessels | |||
Sectoral support
The EU provides an envelope of €4.5 million per year to support the national strategy for sustainable fisheries. It should contribute to good ocean governance and the promotion of responsible and sustainable fisheries.
EU funding supports the main following priorities
- Strengthening of scientific monitoring and advice
- Control and inspection of fishing activities, in particular combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and deterring and sanctioning infringements relating to IUU fishing
- Improvement of infrastructure to reinforce fisheries management, and monitoring, control and surveillance
- Development of sustainable small-scale fishing and fishing communities, including women in the processing sector
- Training for fisheries administration and fishing communities
Scientific advice
Tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean are managed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which includes both the EU and Guinea-Bissau as members. The EU and Guinea-Bissau work together within ICCAT to evaluate and manage tuna stocks. The EU's tuna fleet fishes in compliance with ICCAT rules.
According to the agreement and its implementation protocol, the EU and Guinea-Bissau support scientific cooperation. They consult a Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) to enhance monitoring of marine life and address scientific issues related to the protocol.
Report of the Tenth Meeting of the Joint Scientific Committee to the EU-Guinea Bissau Fisheries Partnership Agreement
