Overview
Status: Dormant
In 2015, the European Union and Liberia signed a 5-year sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (SFPA) focused on tuna fishing, marking their first such partnership. The agreement lasted from 9 December 2015 to 8 December 2020, and has not been renewed since.
The most recent protocol ended on 8 December 2020.
A dormant agreement means that the partnership exists, but there is no active protocol. As a result, with no rules on catches and contributions, the EU fleet cannot fish in the waters of Liberia. This also applies to direct licencing, in line with the agreement’s exclusivity clause and the common fisheries policy article 31(5).
However, dormant agreements can still be used for discussions and cooperation on fisheries issues.
News
Today, the European Commission published guidelines seeking to help EU countries in supporting small-scale fishers and enhancing transparency and good governance in the allocation of fishing opportunities by EU countries.
The EU is deeply concerned that most North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) members opposed the EU proposal to set the mackerel total allowable catch (TAC) in line with the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
On 12 November, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) selected the tenth Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in the field of water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems.