COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION Accompanying the document Recommendation for a COUNCIL DECISION authorising the opening of the negotiations on behalf of the European Union for the conclusion of an Implementing Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritius
Date: 2021-08-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Mauritius, catch area, catch quota, fishing agreement, fishing rights, negotiation of an agreement (EU), protocol to an agreement, ratification of an agreement, sea fish, sea fishing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.8.2021  SWD(2021) 221 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  EVALUATION  Accompanying the document Recommendation for a  COUNCIL DECISION  authorising the opening of the negotiations on behalf of the European Union for the conclusion of an Implementing Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritius {COM(2021) 456 final} - {SWD(2021) 222 final}  
 
 
Table of contents 

1. 

2. 

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................2 

BACKGROUND TO THE INTERVENTION ......................................................................................2 

3.  METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................................4 

4. 

IMPLEMENTATION/STATE OF PLAY .............................................................................................4 

5.  ANALYSIS AND ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS .............................................6 

6. 

CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................8 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Purpose and scope 

Bilateral  sustainable  fisheries  partnership  agreements  (hereafter  -  SFPAs)  between  the  EU 
and third  countries  are  covered by the Common Fisheries Policy  (CFP) regulation.1 SFPAs 
help  to  implement  the  CFP  objectives  internationally,  ensuring  that  fishing  activities  of  the 
EU  fleet  outside  Union  waters  are  based  on  the  same  principles  and  standards  as  those 
applied in EU waters. SFPAs are based on the principles of sustainability and best available 
scientific advice, transparency, non-discrimination, solidarity through partnership. All in all, 
SFPAs  contribute  to  the  establishment  of  a  governance  framework  for  external  fishing 
activities.2 Furthermore, the EU commitment to promote oceans governance at a global level 
should be incorporated in newly negotiated SFPAs.  

The Council Conclusions on the external dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy adopted 
on  19  March  2012,  calls  for  an  ex-post  and  ex-ante  evaluation  to  be  carried  out  by  the 
Commission before negotiating a new protocol.3 This stems from Article 31(10) of the Basic 
CFP  Regulation.  Ex-ante  and  ex-post  evaluation  studies  aim  to  inform  decision  makers, 
before the negotiation directives by the Council are adopted.  

This  staff  working  document  (SWD)  presents  the  results  of  an  ex-post  and  ex-ante 
evaluation4  of  the  current  Implementing  Protocol  (2017-2021)  to  the  Fisheries  Partnership 
Agreement  between  the  European  Union  and  Mauritius,  which  expires  the  on  7  December 
2021.  The  study  covers  the  period  from  the  entry  into  application  of  the  Protocol  (8 
December 2017) till end of December 2020. The ex-post evaluation is made on the basis of 
assessment  criteria:  effectiveness,  efficiency,  economy,  relevance,  coherence,  EU  added 
value  and  acceptability.  For  the  ex-ante  analysis,  the  focus  was  on  the  lessons  learned, 
possible  benefits  of  the  new  Protocol,  available  options  (renewal  or  non-renewal  of  the 
Protocol) and the associated risks, as well as the added value for the EU. 

2.  BACKGROUND TO THE INTERVENTION 

Description of the intervention and its objectives 

To  explain  the  logic  of  this  intervention,  it  is  important  to  explain  the  rationale  of  SFPAs. 
SFPAs consist  of 3 major parts:  Agreements, Protocol and Technical  Annexes. While once 
negotiated  SFPA  Agreements  are  automatically  extended,  the  Protocols  have  to  be 
renegotiated  before  their  expiry.  SFPAs  are  rendered  operational  through  implementation 
Protocols  that  contain  Technical  Annexes.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  evaluation  study  is 
needed  (as  explained  in  the  introduction),  in  order  to  decide  whether  it  is  beneficial  or  not 
renewing the Protocol and, if so, under which conditions.  

EU concludes fisheries partnership agreements with third countries to enable the EU fleet to 
fish surplus resources in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of partner countries (in this case 
– Mauritius), in a legally regulated environment and in exchange for a financial contribution 
by  the  EU  and  ship-owners.  The  EU  contribution  is  made  up  of  two  separate  financial 

1 
2 
3 
4  

Regulation (EU) 1380/2013 of 11 December 2013 the Common Fisheries Policy (OJ L354, 28.12.2013, p. 22); 
Overview of SFPA: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/international/agreements_fr; 
Doc. 7086/12 PECHE 66. 
To include link to the study once published 

2 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
components:  1)  EU  access  contribution  that  gives  access  for  the  EU  fleet  to  waters  and 
fisheries  resources  of  a  partner  country;  and  2)  EU  sectorial  support  devoted  to  the 
development  of  the  fisheries  sector  in  partner  countries.  The  EU  public  contribution  is 
complemented by contributions paid by EU ship-owners. 

Each  SFPA  is  an  exclusive  agreement:  once  in  place,  EU  vessels  can  only  fish  under  this 
SFPA, and cannot enter into private agreements with the partner country. The SFPA ensures 
a level-playing field and establishes minimum standards for sustainable resource management 
as  it  includes  provisions  prohibiting  the  granting  of  more  favourable  conditions  to  other 
foreign fleets. The implementation of the Agreement and the Protocol is managed by a Joint 
Committee, which meets at least once per year, composed of representatives of both parties.  

The  first  fisheries  agreement  between  the  EU  and  Mauritius  dates  back  from  1989.  The 
current Agreement5, a 6 years agreement renewable for additional periods of 3 years, entered 
into force on 28 January 2014. Under the current Protocol of 4 years (from 8 December 2017 
to 7 December 2021), EU fleet are allowed to fish tuna in Mauritius’ waters with a reference 
tonnage  of  4.000  tonnes  per  year.  Access  is  given  to  40  purse  seiners  and  45  surface 
longliners.  In addition to the fees paid by EU fleet, the EU pays a financial contribution of 
220  000  EUR  per  year  for  access,  plus  an  annual  specific  amount  of  220 000  EUR  for  the 
support  and  implementation  of  Mauritius  sectoral  fisheries  policy  as  well  as  an  additional 
annual  amount  of  135 000  EUR  to  support  the  deployment  of  maritime  policy  and  ocean 
economy. The Partnership with the EU is also contributing to strengthening the fight against 
Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU). 

The FPA has overall a significant impact on the economy of the country. Although the main 
logistical  base  for  EU  vessels  in  the  Indian  Ocean  is  Port-Victoria  in  Seychelles,  the 
Mauritian  canneries  process  annually  about  50 000  tonnes  of  tuna  caught  by  EU  vessels  in 
the  Indian  Ocean,  which  is  far  greater  than  the  about  3 500  tonnes  caught  by  EU  vessels 
solely in the Mauritian waters. Additional economic benefits are derived by Mauritius from 
the activities of the shipyard which services EU vessels. The average annual turnover of the 
EU  fishing  fleet  from  catch  obtained  in  Mauritian  waters  amounted  to  EUR  5,6  million 
between  2018  and  2019.  EU  fishing  activities  supported  the  creation  of  EUR  2,5  million 
gross value-added and EUR 754 000 gross profit. Taking into account the indirect economic 
impacts of the activities of EU vessels, the FPA shows a positive cost-benefit ratio with EUR 
20  of  value-added  generated  for  every  EUR  1  invested  from  the  public  budget.  Mauritius 
received 26% of the total value-added, mainly through payments for access and activities in 
the fish processing sector. 

Important to note, that bilateral cooperation between the EU and Mauritius should be looked 
at in a larger context, taking into account synergies in all the actions undertaken under other 
SFPAs or in the framework of regional cooperation, and coordinated with other EU projects 
and  relevant  interventions.  To  do  so,  DG  MARE  works  in  close  cooperation  with  other 
Commission  services  (INTPA,  TRADE,  SANTE)  and  with  the  European  External  Action 
service  (EEAS)  in  order  to  ensure  coherence  in  actions  undertaken  by  different  services. 
Synergies  are  also  sought  with  other  financial  donors  in  the  region,  in  order  to  ensure 
complementarity  of  resources  and  maximum  benefits  to  Mauritius.  Furthermore,  it  is  also 
important to consider that Mauritius is a strategic partner in the region in the context of the 
IOTC.  

5 OJ L 79, 18.3.2014, p. 3–8 

3 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
3.  METHODOLOGY 

The evaluation study was conducted between January and March 2021, under the guidance of 
an  inter-service  Steering  Group  and  within  the  general  framework  of  the  Terms  of 
Reference’s framework  contract.  The methodology used in  the evaluation included analysis 
of  documentation  and  data  available,  and  consultation  of  Mauritius’  and  EU  stakeholders 
(more information in Annex 2). 

The  preparation  of  the  evaluation  report  took  into  account  the  guidelines  recommended  by 
the EU, including the "Toolbox" on evaluation, in particular on how to assess the impacts of 
EU interventions in third countries, and the methodological elements specific to the external 
dimension  of  the  CFP,  such  as  those  concerning  the  methods  of  assessment  of  the  socio-
economic benefits of fisheries agreements. 

All  in  all,  the  contractor  respected  all  the  requirements  set  by  the  Steering  group,  and 
succeeded  in  running  the  foreseen  consultation  despite  the  difficulties  due  to  the  COVID 
epidemic. There was a very constructive communication between the Steering group and the 
contractor  along  the  whole  evaluation  process,  and  the  cooperation  was  mutually  much 
appreciated.  

4. 

IMPLEMENTATION/STATE OF PLAY 

As  regards  the  implementation  of  the  Protocol,  a  number  of  areas  are  identified  by  the 
consultant, in order to reflect what the situation was before the intervention started, and how 
it was expected to develop and other relevant points of comparison. 

Utilisation of fishing opportunities  

The utilisation of fishing opportunities for tuna purse seiners has been good over the period 
2018-2020. An average of 27 EU tuna purse seiners per year (67% out of 40 foreseen in the 
Protocol) have drawn annual fishing authorisations. For surface longliners, an average of 18 
small-scale longliners per year based in La Réunion utilised fishing opportunities (39% out of 
the 45 foreseen in the Protocol). For EU tuna purse seiners, 100% of the EU fleet active in the 
Indian  Ocean utilised fishing opportunities available in  the waters of Mauritius,  and almost 
100% of the La Réunion longliners of 12 meters and above, demonstrating hence the strategic 
interest  of  the  access  to  the  Mauritius  waters  for  this  fleet  segment.  Fishing  opportunities 
available for large-scale longliners have not been utilised by vessels of the relevant Member 
States (Spain and Portugal).  

Catches   

On  average,  EU  tuna  vessels  caught  71%  of  the  reference  tonnage  of  4000  tonnes  agreed 
under  the  Protocol.  EU  catches  varied  between  38%  of  the  reference  tonnage  in  2020  and 
110% in 2019, with hence one year during which total catches were higher than the reference 
tonnage,  confirming  the  unpredictability  of  tuna  abundance  in  Mauritius’  waters.  EU  purse 
seine  catches  represented  94%  of  total  EU  catches,  and  represented  1%  on  average  of  the 
total purse seine catches in the Indian Ocean. For EU surface longliners based in La Réunion, 
catch obtained in the waters of Mauritius represented 12% of the catches of this segment on 
average, but 22% in 2019. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
Scientific cooperation  

The  scientific  exchanges  between  the  Parties  have  mainly  taken  place  in  the  frame  of  the 
discussions  at  the  Indian  Ocean  Tuna  Commission  (IOTC),  for  which  both  the  EU  and 
Mauritius  are  active  members,  and  which  have  provided  sufficient  scientific  base  for  the 
management decisions taken by the Joint Committee.  

Technical measures 

As  regards  the  support  vessels,  8  EU  supply  vessels  on  average  per  year  were  licensed 
between 2018 and 2020. The Protocol provided for a maximum of 20 supply vessels unless 
set otherwise by the IOTC. 

The implementation  of the Electronic Reporting  System has experienced  significant  delays,  
implying the use of paper logbooks and radio/email notifications of entry-exit movements in 
and out the Mauritius waters.   

No Mauritian qualified seamen were embarked on the EU fleet between 2018 and 2020, and 
EU  operators  paid  the  compensation  for  non-recruitment,  as  foreseen  in  the  Protocol.  The 
reason  for  non-embarking  has  been  reported  to  be  the  presence  of  EU  vessels  in  Mauritius 
waters  for  only  a  few  days  per  year,  and  the  lack  of  seamen    trained  according  to  the 
International  Convention  on  Standards  of  Training,  Certification  and  Watchkeeping  for 
Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F). 

As  regards  the  observes  embarkation,  this  provision  as  foreseen  in  the  Protocol  was  not 
implemented as the lists of designated vessels and designated observers were not provided to 
EU  operators.  Consequently  to  date,  no  Mauritian  observers  have  boarded  EU  vessels. 
However,  about  12  Mauritian  nationals  were  trained  by  the  French  association  of  purse 
seiners,  to  primarily  observe  fishing  operations  of  purse  seiners  flagged  to  Mauritius 
wherever they operate. It was expected that some of these observers would board EU purse 
seiners, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered initial plans. Furthermore, the sectoral support 
played  a  crucial  role  in  supporting  the  development  of  the  Mauritius  observer  programme 
helping them to meet the requirements of IOTC Resolution 11/046. Despite this situation, EU 
fishing vessels activities were covered by observers to collect information foreseen by IOTC 
Resolution 11/04 on a Regional Observer Scheme and by the EU Regulation7 establishing a 
mandatory  data  collection  scheme  under  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy.  In  addition,  EU 
operators  of  tuna  purse  seiners  implemented  their  own  unilateral  commitment  of  ensuring 
100%  observer  coverage  (human  and  electronic)  of  their  fishing  operations  wherever  they 
operate.  

Sectoral support 

The Protocol with Mauritius is the first one foreseeing, under sectoral support programme, a 
specific financial envelope dedicated to blue economy.   

6 Resolution 11/04 On a regional observer scheme 

7 Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 on the establishment of a Union framework 
for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the common fisheries policy 
and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 199/2008. OJ L 157, 20.6.2017, p. 1–21 

5 

 
 
 
                                                           
The multiannual sectoral programme agreed between the two parties at the beginning of the 
Protocol foresaw in total over the four years, as provided for in the Protocol, a budget of EUR 
880 000 dedicated to fisheries policy, and of EUR 540 000 dedicated to ocean economy. For 
support to fisheries, the main activities identified at the beginning of the Protocol concerned 
monitoring,  control  and  surveillance,  scientific  research,  and  support  to  national  fisheries 
management.  For 
in 
biotechnologies  and  aquaculture,  and  support  to  the  preparation  of  an  action  plan  for  the 
ocean economy. 

the  main  activities  considered  research 

the  ocean  economy, 

Compared  to  initial  plans,  the  implementation  of  the  sectoral  support  was  significantly 
delayed, with  only the first of four tranches implemented during the first  three  years of the 
Protocol. Implementation of the first tranche of the sectoral support delivered some positive 
outcomes.  The  sectoral  support  activities  contributed  to  further  developing  the  ‘Canotte 
scheme’  with  the  acquisition  of  new  fishing  vessels  for  50  small-scale  fishers.  Sectoral 
support activities also contributed to increased scientific observer coverage of the Mauritian 
tuna  fleet,  and  contributed  to  the  training  of  20  fisheries  protection  officers.  It  should 
however  be  noted  that  the  main  objective  of  implementing  fully  the  Electronic  Reporting 
System  (ERS)  under  the  first  tranche  was  not  reached.  In  the  field  of  blue  economy,  the 
sectoral  support  supported  the  acquisition  of  new  technologies  for  research  in  aquaculture. 
Communication  on  the  achievements  of  sectoral  support  was  minimal,  there  have  been  a 
number of delays and challenges in the implementation, and there is room for  improvement 
in programme management in several areas.  

5.  ANALYSIS AND ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS 

The  2017-2021  Protocol  between  the  EU  and  Mauritius  has  broadly  met  the  evaluation 
criteria  for  EU  interventions  of  effectiveness,  efficient,  economy  relevance,  coherence, 
acceptability  and  EU  added  value.  The  effectiveness  of  the  sectoral  support  was  however 
limited  due  to  the  delays  in  the  programme  implementation.  The  current  Protocol  can  be 
described as a win-win agreement for both parties in that it addresses most of the identified 
needs  of  different  stakeholders,  although  areas  of  improvements  were  identified  for  the 
sectoral support. 

Effectiveness.  The  2017-2021  Protocol  has  broadly  met  the  evaluation  criteria  for  EU 
intervention for effectiveness. It has indeed met the objective of protecting the interests of the 
EU long distance fleet by providing stable access to an important fishing zone in the Western 
Indian  Ocean.  In  particular,  for  EU  tuna  purse  seiners,  the  Protocol  complements  the  other 
access arrangements established in the region, allowing EU vessels to optimise exploitation 
of migratory stocks within  the regional rules set  by the  IOTC. Concerning the  EU longline 
fleet  based  in  La  Réunion,  access  to  Mauritius’  waters  is  very  relevant  as  it  provides 
opportunities to extend fishing areas to neighbouring waters. 

Efficiency.  The  Protocol  is  evaluated  as  efficient  with  an  EU  financial  contribution 
proportional to the fishing opportunities exploited. Although the reference tonnage of 4 000 t 
was exceeded only in 2019, the Protocol is estimated to have generated a positive cost-benefit 
ratio, with Mauritius deriving more value added from the activities of the EU tuna fleet in the 
Indian Ocean than from their activities solely in Mauritius waters.  

Economy. The activities of the EU tuna fleet in Mauritius’ waters and in the broader Indian 
Ocean generated substantial positive socioeconomic impacts for Mauritius through supply of 
raw  material  to  the  cannery  and  use  of  services  of  the  shipyard.  The  FPA  shows  indeed  a 
positive cost-benefit ratio with EUR 20 of value-added generated for every EUR 1 invested 

6 

 
 
from  the  public  budget.  Mauritius  received  26%  of  the  total  value-added,  mainly  through 
payments  for  access  and  activities  in  the  fish  processing  sector.  The  Protocol  was  however 
not successful in promoting employment of local seamen on-board EU vessels probably due 
to  short  fishing  periods  in  Mauritius’  waters  with  no  calls  in  Port  Louis,  and  a  lack  of 
awareness about the availability of a trained workforce. 

Relevance.  The  Protocol  is  found  to  be  relevant  to  the  needs  of  the  key  stakeholders 
concerned.  For  EU  ship-owners,  the  Protocol  provides  predictable  access  to  a  productive 
fishing  area.  For  Mauritius,  it  delivered  national  economic  benefits  from  tuna  resources 
present  in  national  waters  and  it  helped  Mauritius  meet  some  of  its  IOTC  obligations, 
especially in relation to the implementation of the observer programme.  Finally, the Protocol 
also helped to maintain Mauritius as one of the main suppliers of processed tuna products to 
the EU market.  

Coherence.  The  Protocol  is  coherent  with  other  EU  interventions  in  the  Western  Indian 
Ocean,  in  particular  those  of  the  European  Development  Fund  aimed  at  strengthening 
fisheries  governance  and  maritime  security.  Finally,  the  Protocol  is  consistent  with  the 
conservation and management measures adopted under the multilateral framework of IOTC, 
and  supports  Mauritius’  participation  in  the  work  of  this  RFMO  and  compliance  with  its 
measures through the sectoral support component. 

EU  added  value.  There  is  added  value  of  the  EU  intervention,  as  it  provides  more  stable 
access  to  migratory  fisheries  resources  than  could  be  achieved  through  private  annual 
arrangements, and it supports the implementation of the Mauritius fisheries policy. However, 
the  delayed  implementation  of  the  sectoral  support  programme  by  Mauritius’  authorities 
undermined the added value of the EU intervention.  

Acceptability.  The  Agreement  and  its  Protocol  are  considered  as  acceptable  to  the  EU 
Member  States  and  its  professional  associations.  On  the  Mauritian  side,  the  Protocol  is 
considered  as  broadly  acceptable  although  the  design  and  implementation  of  the  sectoral 
support component could be improved. 

6.  CONCLUSIONS 

The  contractor  has  fully  addressed  the  evaluation  questions  and  provided  the  Commission 
with  concrete,  reliable  and  credible  results.  Based  on  these  observations,  the  contractor  has 
drawn  conclusions  based  on  objective  analysis  and  made  specific  and  relevant 
recommendations for future negotiations on the new protocol between the EU and Mauritius.  

From  all  options  considered,  the  renewal  of  the  Protocol  at  the  end  of  its  implementation 
period (7 December 2021) clearly appears to be in the interest of both parties and as the most 
beneficial outcome. The option of not renewing the Protocol would not be beneficial.  

The negotiation of a new Protocol would imply including and/or reinforcing in the text some 
core horizontal principles set out in the Common Fishery Policy Regulation, such as respect 
of human rights and democratic principles, non-discrimination between the different fishing 
fleets and transparency, which are partially present in the current FPA. The general principles 
governing  the  new  Protocol  should  also  include  commitment  from  the  two  parties  to 
endeavour to  coordinate their actions  within the framework of the  IOTC  and other relevant 
RFMOs  of  which  they  are  members,  including  the  possibility  to  submit  joint  proposals  to 
these organisations. 

7 

 
 
 
The  current  Protocol  positively  addresses  the  identified  needs  of  the  different  stakeholders. 
Therefore, on the access component the evaluation recommends retaining a similar technical 
and  financial  approach  in  a  future  Protocol,  with  however  some  adaptations  aimed  in 
particular at improving the implementing technical conditions.  

As  regards  the  technical  conditions  to  be  improved,  the  maximum  numbers  of  EU  purse 
seiners and EU longliners eligible for an authorisation to access the Mauritius waters could be 
adjusted to reflect the current number of EU purse seiners active in the Indian Ocean as well 
as the real interests of the EU longline segment for an access to the Mauritian fishing zone. 
The  maximum  number  of  EU  support  vessels  eligible  for  an  authorisation  to  access  the 
Mauritius  waters  should  be  adjusted  to  reflect  the  IOTC  rule  adopted  through  Resolution 
19/018, and left  flexible to  adapt  to  the requirement  of forthcoming  resolutions superseding 
Resolution  19/01.  The  catch  data  reporting  system  should  be  improved  through  the  full 
implementation  of  the  ERS  and  electronic  transmission  of  catch  data.  As  for  seamen,  the 
training  and  promotion  of  the  employment  of  national  crew  could  be  addressed,  notably 
through the sectoral support component of the next Protocol.  

With regard to access conditions, a comparable level of the reference tonnage of the current 
Protocol could be envisaged, as to set the value of the access component of a next Protocol.  

With  regard  to  the  sectoral  support  component,  the  evaluation  identified  shortcomings,  in 
particular on monitoring and reporting of the programmes, and a number of recommendations 
to  address  them.  Merging  the  current  fisheries  and  ocean  economy  sectoral  support 
components could be considered, as to increase flexibility and streamline the monitoring of 
the funds utilisation. Such merging could be justified by the current lack of a national work 
programme for blue economy outside the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.  In  case the two 
sectoral  support  components  are  kept  separately,  the  Protocol  should  provide  for  the  same 
conditions for monitoring and result-based payments.  Result indicators should be an integral 
part of annual and multi-annual matrices.  

Taking  into  account  the  difficulties  encountered  in  the  timely  utilisation  of  the  funds  and 
implementation  of  the  sectoral  support  programmes  under  the  2014-2017  and  2017-2021 
Protocols, an adjustment of the sectoral support total envelope could be envisaged, as to take 
into account the absorption capacity of the Mauritian competent authorities. The recruitment 
of an external technical  assistant under the sectoral support envelope is  recommended as to 
support  the  implementation  of  the  multi-annual  programme,  ensure  the  coordination  of  the 
different entities involved, and that  proper monitoring  and  reporting obligations  are met by 
the Mauritian authorities.     

In terms of priority areas of interventions, the evaluation recommends continuing to support 
Mauritius  in  complying  with  its  international  obligations,  with  particular  focus  on  national 
observers  scheme  and  on  the  strengthening  the  national  system  for  Port  controls.  
Furthermore,  support  to  the  semi-industrial  and  artisanal  fisheries  sectors,  as  well  as  to  the 
training capacity of the Maritime Academy, should be reviewed in the next programme. 

Finally, a future Protocol should ensure consider the development of a communication plan 
and  earmark  a  dedicated  budget  for  its  implementation,  as  to  ensure  the  visibility  of  the 
sectoral support actions. 

To sum up, the Commission supports in general the conclusions of the assessment made by 
the contractor.  

8 Resolution 19/01 On an Interim Plan for Rebuilding the Indian Ocean Yellowfin Tuna Stock in the IOTC Area of Competence.  

8 

 
 
                                                           
Annex 1: Procedural information 

1.  LEAD DG, DeCIDE PLANNING/CWP REFERENCES 

Responsable DG: DG MARE – Maritime Affairs and Fisheries/ PLAN/2020/8772 

2.  ORGANISATION AND TIMING 

Tasks 

Time 

Signature of the contract  

23 December 2020 

Kick-off meeting 

Report of the Kick-off meeting 

Submission of the inception report  

Comments to the inception report 

12 January 2021 

14 January 2021 

29 January 2021 

3 February 2021 

Meeting to discuss inception report 

n/a (exchanges by email) 

Submission of the draft final report 

24 March 2021 

Meeting to discuss draft final report  

Submission of the final report  

7 April 2021 

21 April 2021 

3.  EXCEPTIONS TO THE BETTER REGULATION GUIDELINES 

The legal and procedural requirements for the preparation of the renewal of fisheries protocol 
lead  to  a  tight  schedule,  which  prevents  the  holding  of  an  open  public  consultation. 
Moreover,  the  impact  of  SFPA  is  relatively  limited,  as  they  focus  on  a  small  number  of 
stakeholders. The consultation strategy excludes open public consultations. 

4.  CONSULTATION OF THE RSB (IF APPLICABLE) 

The Contractor used data provided by DG MARE and DG  INTPA and the interviews with 
the authorities of Mauritius, EU Member States concerned, representatives or associations of 
fishing ship-owners, NGOs and civil society. 

5.  EVIDENCE, SOURCES AND QUALITY 

The evaluation process and the final evaluation report was subject to a quality assessment by 
the Steering Committee. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 2: Stakeholder consultation 

Main questionnaire sent to stakeholders 

  What  is  your  opinion  on  the  2017-2021  Protocol  adopted  by  the  Council  of  the  EU 

and by the European Parliament? 

  Are  you  generally  satisfied  by  the  way  the  European  Commission  manages  the 

Fisheries agreement with Mauritius? 

  Do you face difficulties in the implementation of the following monitoring measures 

 

under Member States responsibility in the context of this agreement? 
In the event the Protocol is renewed in 2021, what changes should be made compared 
to the current Protocol? 

  Do you have any other comments on the Fisheries Agreement with Mauritius? 

Background  

In  line  with  the  implementation  of  the  Commission  guidelines  and  the  better  regulation 
‘toolbox’,  a  consultation  strategy  has  been  elaborated  by  the  contractor  to  support  the 
preparation  of  the  negotiations  for  the  renewal  of  protocols  to  the  fisheries  partnership 
agreements  (SFPAs).  The  strategy  has  had  to  define  the  best  means  of  achieving  relevant 
stakeholders both in the EU and in the partner country concerned.   

Objectives  

The aim of the consultation:   

1. To obtain stakeholders’ views on the implementation of the ongoing protocol, as well as on 
the possible renewal of the protocol, including the different options;   

2. To use the results of this consultation in the evaluation report. 

Approach to consultation of stakeholders  

The  main  stakeholders  concerned  with  the  Protocol,  which  have  been  consulted,  are  as 
follows: 1) Member States flag ships beneficiaries; 2) representatives or associations of ship-
owners in  the beneficiaries of this Protocol; 3) non-governmental  organisations (NGOs); 4) 
The partner country administrations; 5) the private sector and civil society. 

Due  to  travel  restrictions  resulting  from  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  all  consultations  were 
completed in  a virtual  mode with  submission  of a questionnaire by email and follow-up by 
phone or videoconference in case answers to the questionnaire needed clarifications. 

Results of the stakeholder consultation 

The views of the organizations are synthesized in  the main text  of the evaluation  report, in 
particular in the ex-post evaluation chapters of the current protocol and ex ante of a possible 
future  protocol.  The  detailed  answers  to  the  stakeholders’  consultation  and  the  list  of 
stakeholders consulted are included in Annexes 2 and 3 of the Evaluation’s report.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
11 

 
 
 
 
Annexe 3:  

ANALYTICAL METHODS AND MODELS USED TO DEVELOP THE 
EVALUATION 

Economic analysis 

A  harmonised  methodology  has  been  developed  for  the  economic  analysis  of  tuna  fleets, 
which fish under SFPAs and under RFMOs.  

Data used correspond to data provided by the Commission through the EU Member States to 
the contractor. 

The specific methodology applied by the contractor is presented in Annex 6 of the evaluation 
study.  

Science 

The evaluators did not carry out tuna stock assessments as such, but used the latest available 
scientific  advice  from  IOTC  as  well  as  most  the  recent  management  measures  adopted  by 
IOTC for the tuna fishery. 

Data on catches and fishing authorizations 

Catch data for EU vessels used in the assessment were taken from the European Commission 
consolidated  catch  database,  which  is  updated  by  Member  States.  Information  on  fishing 
authorizations granted by Mauritius to EU vessels has been extracted from the Commission's 
database on fishing authorizations.  

12