Sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs)

SFPAs have gained recognition as a benchmark for good fisheries governance. While SFPAs allow EU vessels to fish for surplus stocks in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of third countries, they ensure equal rules, scientific management and social empowerment, with a focus on environmental sustainability, local growth, human rights and shared accountability.

These agreements also focus on resource conservation and environmental sustainability, ensuring that all EU vessels are subject to the same rules of control and transparency. At the same time, a clause concerning respect for human rights has been included in all protocols to fisheries agreements.

There are two main types of agreements

• tuna agreements – allow EU vessels to pursue migrating tuna stocks as they move along the shores of Africa and through the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Pacific Ocean
• mixed agreements – provide access to a wide range of fish stocks in the partner country's exclusive economic zone

The EU has currently 11 SFPAs protocols in force with third countries

• 7 tuna agreements: Cabo Verde, Gabon, Kiribati, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and The Gambia (with a hake component for the last two)
• 3 mixed agreements: Greenland, Guinea Bissau and Mauritania

The EU has also 9 "dormant" agreements: Cook Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal and Solomon Islands. "Dormant agreements" stand for countries that have a fisheries partnership agreement which is still in force but there is no implementing protocol in force. EU vessels are therefore not allowed to fish in waters under the regime of the dormant agreements. A new protocol is being negotiated with Côte d’Ivoire, the FPA is also dormant until the new protocol applies. 

International ocean governance