European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee approves a new EU-Côte d’Ivoire fishing deal for Spanish, French, and Portuguese vessels
The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee has given its consent to a new fisheries agreement with Côte d’Ivoire, allowing vessels from Spain, France, and Portugal to catch over 6,000 tonnes of tuna annually in the country’s economic zone for the next four years.
The protocol was approved by a vote of 23 in favour, one against, and one abstention.
Under the new agreement, the EU will pay Côte d’Ivoire an annual financial contribution of €740,000. Of this amount, €305,000 is for access rights for 25 tuna purse seiners and seven surface longliners.
The remaining €435,000 is earmarked to support the development of Côte d’Ivoire’s sustainable fisheries, including small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, scientific knowledge, and port infrastructure.
Additionally, EU shipowners will pay a fee of €80 per tonne of catch for the first two years, increasing to €85 per tonne for the final two years, along with annual fishing license fees.
The agreement aims to contribute to food security within the EU and to the development of Côte d’Ivoire’s fisheries sector. A key objective is to help implement controls and sanctions to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The protocol also mandates that the employment and labour conditions for crew members on EU vessels must align with International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards, ensuring healthy and decent working conditions, and the elimination of forced and child labour.
The protocol, which is applicable from June 6, 2025, to June 5, 2029, must now be endorsed by the Parliament as a whole in a future plenary session before it is fully in force.
