Ex-post and ex-ante evaluation of the EU/ The Gambia SFPA and Protocol Gambia

DG MARE Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (European Commission) - Project Dates:

Description of Project:
The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) and Protocol between the European Union (EU) and The Republic of The Gambia (The Gambia) is one of the smaller EU fisheries agreements with a third country for the EU in financial terms. It is a tuna agreement with a limited demersal component for black hakes. The Protocol considers access to The Gambia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for a maximum of 28 EU purse seine vessels, 10 tuna pole and line vessels, and 3 demersal trawl vessels, in exchange for an annual EU financial compensation of EUR 275 000, plus an annual decoupled maximum amount of EUR 275 000 for the support and implementation of The Gambia’s fisheries sectoral policy. The Protocol also foresees payment of access fees by EU operators benefiting from the fishing opportunities availabl

Services Provided:

Poseidon provided an ex-post evaluation of the 2019 - 2025 Protocol and an ex‑ante evaluation of a possible future Protocol to the SFPA between the EU and The Gambia, in line with EU requirements. The evaluation involved consultations with relevant stakeholders in the EU and in The Gambia, and economic, social, and environmental analyses. The ex-post evaluation considered a range of evaluation criteria and used several points of comparison to evaluate the expected outcome of the intervention compared to a situation without a Protocol and the expected evolution of the current SFPA/Protocol over the evaluation period. The ex-post evaluation, along with the ex-ante evaluation which assessed a range of options with regards to a possible future Protocol, provided data and analysis to inform a decision as to whether to provide a mandate to the European Commission to negotiate with The Gambia for a new Protocol.