EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki has met with the newly appointed Prime Minister from Guinea Bissau, Mr Domingos Simões Pereira, and the country's Secretary of State for Fisheries, Mr Idelfonso de Barros.
Prime Minister Simões Pereira took office on 4 July following the legislative and presidential elections of April/May 2014. These elections were a major step to the restoration of constitutional order in the country and towards political stability.
Commissioner Damanaki and Prime Minister Simões Pereira discussed the bilateral and strategic cooperation in fisheries matters between the EU and Guinea Bissau.
They agreed to re-activate the ratification procedure of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Guinea Bissau: a three-year protocol was negotiated in 2012 but never entered in to force due to the political situation in the country.
Other topics of mutual interest were evoked during this meeting, notably the need to enhance cooperation in the fight against illegal fishing, in matters of transparency and to ensure proper implementation of the EU’s support to the fisheries sector in Guinea Bissau.
Fisheries are an important activity for Guinea Bissau and EU fishermen have an interest in fishing tuna, shrimps, cephalopods and demersals along the coast of the country.
