MALDIVES: fuel subsidies package for fishermen in 2008

Last year the Maldives' Government Ministry of Fisheries launched a Maldives Rufiyaa (Rf.) 100 million (USD 7.8 million) fuel subsidy program aimed at those vessels registered with the ministry.

According to the fisheries ministry a sum of Rf.300, 000 (USD 23,400) are given out as fuel subsidy to fishing vessels of 85 feet in length and more. Vessels between 65 feet and 84 feet in length are given Rf.200,000 (USD 15,600) while vessels between 64 and 45 feet are given Rf.70,000 (USD 5,400). For vessels less than 45 feet in length a fuel subsidy of Rf.20,000 (USD 1,500) is given. According to the fiseries ministry some 1082 fishing vessels were registered in June 2008.

Government officials said that the programme had not resulted in an increase in fishing capacity, rather the usual number of vessels went out for fishing.

Hereunder is the link to a press article on the above subsidy programme:

http://www.maldiveschronicle.com/fishermen-not-increasing-despite-fuel-subsidies/

Fisheries agreement between SENEGAL and MAURITANIA

Fisheries agreements have been (and continue to be) one of the "hot issues" at the WTO DDA negotiations on fisheries subsidies.

Those WTO Members that view these agreements as containing a "subsidy element" have made proposals to discipline those agreements concluded between a developed and a developing Member of the WTO, while granting an exception for those agreements concluded between developing Member countries.

An example of the latter sort of agreement is the one between SENEGAL and MAURITANIA. The link hereunder corresponds to an article (in French) published in March of 2008 by the Agence de Presse Africaine.

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?article58792