Council Regulation (EEC) No 1554/85 of 4 June 1985 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on fishing off Seychelles

The Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on fishing off Seychelles is hereby approved on behalf of the Community. The text of the Agreement is attached to this Regulation.

The President of the Council shall give the notification provided for in Article 14 of the Agreement .

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

The purpose of this Agreement is to establish the principles and rules which will in future govern, in all respects, the fishing activities of vessels flying the flags of Member States of the Community, hereinafter referred to as ‘Community vessels’, in the waters over which the Seychelles has sovereignty or jurisdiction in respect of fisheries, hereinafter referred to as ‘Seychelles fishing zone’.

The Government of Seychelles shall permit fishing by Community vessels in the Seychelles fishing zone in accordance with this Agreement.

1 The Community undertakes to take all appropriate steps to ensure that its vessels observe the provisions of this Agreement and the rules governing fishing in the Seychelles fishing zone.

2 The authorities of Seychelles shall notify the Commission of the European Communities of any proposed change to the said rules.

1 Fishing activities in the Seychelles fishing zone may be carried out by Community vessels only if so authorized by the authorities of Seychelles at the Community's request.

2 The issue of a licence shall be subject to payment of the fees due by the shipowners concerned.

3 The amount of the fee and the methods of payment shall be as specified in the Annex.

The Parties undertake to coordinate action, either directly or within international organizations, to ensure the management and conservation of the living resources in the Indian Ocean, and particularly in respect of highly migratory species, and to facilitate the relevant scientific research.

In return for the fishing opportunities accorded under Article 2, the Community shall participate, in accordance with the conditions and arrangements stipulated in the Protocol attached to this Agreement, in the execution of projects connected with the development of fisheries in Seychelles, without prejudice to the financing for which Seychelles is eligible under the ACP-EEC Convention.

The Parties agree to enter into consultations in the event of a dispute concerning the interpretation or application of this Agreement.

A Joint Committee is hereby set up to ensure that this Agreement is applied correctly. The Committee shall meet, at the request of either Contracting Party, alternately in Seychelles and in the Community.

Nothing in this Agreement shall affect or prejudice in any manner the view of either Party with respect to any matter relating to the Law of the Sea.

This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territory of the Republic of Seychelles.

The Annex and the Protocol form an integral part of this Agreement and, unless otherwise specified, a referrence to this Agreement shall constitute a reference to them.

Should the authorities of Seychelles decide, as a result of developments in the state of stocks, to take conservation measures which affect the activities of Community vessels, consultations shall be held between the Parties in order to adapt the Annex and the Protocol referred to in Article 4 and Article 6 respectively of this Agreement.

The Agreement shall be concluded for an initial period of three years from the date of its entry into force. Unless one of the Parties ends it by giving notice to that effect six months before the date of expiry of the three-year period, it shall remain in force for further periods of two years unless denounced by notice given at least three months before the date of expiry of each such two-year period. In that event the Contracting Parties shall enter into negotiations to determine by common agreement what amendments or additions to the Annex or Protocol are required.

This Agreement shall enter into force on the date on which the Parties notify each other of the completion of the procedures necessary for this purpose.

This Agreement, drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch, English, French, Greek, German and Italian languages, each of these texts being equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Communities, which shall transmit a certified copy to each of the Contracting Parties.

Pursuant to Article 2 of the Agreement and for the period of application of this Protocol, which is limited to three years, authorizations to fish in the Seychelles fishing zone shall be granted to 27 ocean-going freezer tuna boats, although the number of such vessels fishing simultaneously may not exceed 18. In addition, and at the request of the Community, certain further authorizations may be granted for other categories of fishing vessel on terms to be established within the Joint Committee, up to an annual average of the equivalent of 1000 gross register tons.

1 The Community shall contribute towards the financing of a scientific programme in Seychelles to gain greater knowledge of fish stocks concerning the region of the Indian Ocean surrounding the Seychelles islands, particularly in respect of highly migratory species. At the request of the Government of Seychelles, this contribution can go towards the cost of international meetings to improve both the aforesaid knowledge and the management of fishery resources.

2 For the first period of application of the Agreement, this contribution may not exceed 250000 ECU.

Pending the availability of more extensive knowledge in respect of the fishery resources of the Seychelles fishing zone, the financial contribution referred to in Article 6 of the Agreement shall be subject to the following rules: The amount of the contribution referred to in Article 6 of the Agreement shall be fixed at a first rate of at least 900000 ECU for the duration of the Protocol, payable in three equal annual instalments. This amount shall cover the fishing activities referred to in Article 1 up to, in the case of tuna fishing, a catch weight in the Seychelles fishing zone of 6000 tonnes of tuna fish per year; if the amount of tuna caught by Community vessels in the Seychelles fishing zone exceeds this quantity, the abovementioned amount shall be increased accordingly; however, irrespective of the amount actually caught, the ceiling for financial compensation shall be fixed at 3000000 ECU for the duration of the Protocol, payable in three equal annual instalments.