The new protocol allocates fishing opportunities to 70 vessels - 45 tuna seiners and 25 surface longliners from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain - compared to 57 under the previous arrangements.
With the annual reference tonnage cut from 6,000 to 4,850 tonnes, the financial contribution to the Union of the Comoros will fall from €390,000 to €315,250 per year.
The EU will provide additional funding of €300,000 annually, primarily to build or extend existing infrastructure to enable EU vessels to land their catches in Comorian ports rather than transporting them as far as to Seychelles, which, apart from being costly, has proved dangerous due to the activity of pirates in the Western Indian Ocean.
The new protocol includes human rights clauses, following Parliament's insistence that such clauses be included in all fisheries agreements.
EP Approves Fisheries Agreement With Comoros
EU - The European Parliament (EP) has given its approval to the new fisheries protocol between the EU and the Comoros Islands, which mainly benefits the tuna industry.
