Belgium: EU, Guinea Bissau restart fishing business

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - The European Union (EU) and Guinea Bissau have decided to restart their fishing business, whose agreement was frozen because of the political instability that prevailed in the African country in the past few years, PANA learnt from official sources.

According to a statement from the European Commission, the decision to reopen the business was taken at the end of talks in Brussels between the new Bissau Guinean Prime Minister, Domingos Simoes Pereira, and the commissioner for fisheries, Mrs. Maria Damanaki.

The statement indicated that fishing is an important activity for Guinea Bissau, the territorial waters of that country being rich, particularly in shrimps, tuna, cephalopods and demersal species.

PANA recalls that the last fishing agreement between EU and Guinea Bissau expired on 15 June, 2012.

According to the statement, Mrs. Damanaki insisted on the strengthening of the fight against illegal fishing in Guinea Bissau's territorial waters and to ensure the proper management of fisheries resources in the interest of the local fishing industry which gets financial support from European countries.
-0- PANA AK/JSG/KND/VAO 19July2014