Mauritania and the European Union (EU) announced in July 2015 that they had signed a “win-win” fishing accord after 16 months of heated debate.
The EU bloc will contribute $112 million per year to Mauritania’s fishing industry, down from the $120 million it gave under the previous deal. The European fleet’s quota is reduced from an annual 300,000 metric tons of fish to 225,000 over the four-year contract.
Stefaan Depypere, EU international affairs and markets director, said during a ceremony that the deal benefits both sides. Mauritanian negotiator Cheikh Ould Baya said exclusive rights on octopus and sardinella for local fishermen would create jobs.
The two sides agreed that the EU boats fishing in Mauritanian waters would continue to be staffed 60 percent by locals. According to official statistics, the fishing sector represents more than 20 percent of the nation’s budget revenue and employs more than 36,000 people in Mauritania.
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