EU parliament endorses fisheries protocol with Mauritanian

The European Parliament Tuesday endorsed the current protocol to the EU-Mauritania fisheries partnership agreement. Under the protocol, EU fishing vessels are allowed to catch various species of fish and shellfish in Mauritanian waters in exchange for an EU payment of 70 million euro a year, said an EP statement. The agreement is the biggest of the EU's fisheries agreements in terms of the volume and variety of fisheries products as well as the financial contribution, it noted. The protocol will be in force until the end of 2014. Up to now, most licences have been purchased by Spanish operators, followed by France and various other countries, it added.