EU pays 20 million a year to fish in Guinea-Bissau's sea
Guinea-Bissau and the European Union have signed a new protocol agreement in the fisheries sector that will allow the African country to receive a total revenue of 100 million euros over the next five years.
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Economia União Europeia
The protocol, the result of three rounds of negotiations, was initialed at a hotel in Bissau between the Guinean Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Mário Musante, and the European Union ambassador to Bissau, Artis Bertulis.
In his speech, the European diplomat welcomed the new agreement, emphasising that it will allow Guinea-Bissau to increase the annual direct value in the General State Budget from 15.6 to 17 million euros.
In addition to this amount, the European Union will disburse a total of 22.5 million euros to support the fisheries and blue economy sector, construction of reference infrastructure, maritime surveillance, combating illegal and unregulated fishing and also to help maritime communities, he said.
"This is an agreement that satisfies both parties", stressed the European Union ambassador to Guinea-Bissau.
In light of a partnership agreement, which Artis Bertulis stressed has existed for about fifty years, vessels from Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and Greek companies fish in the waters of Guinea-Bissau.
The Guinean Minister of Fisheries highlighted "the physical and mental efforts" made by technicians from both sides during the three rounds of negotiations, which, he stressed, were not easy, "until a balanced position was found".
"The new protocol establishes financial improvements and outlines new perspectives for working together", stated Musante, pointing to the commitment to integrate European shipowners into the Guinean market.
The minister highlighted the understanding that the two sides will work together to "eliminate technical and sanitary constraints" to allow Guinea-Bissau to start exporting its fish directly to the European market.
"The European Union is and will be one of Guinea-Bissau's major strategic partners for building peace, development and progress", observed Mário Musante.
Also Read: GNR surveillance ends with 25 kg of fish seized in the Azores (Portuguese version)
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