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This report, commissioned by WWF, shows that, since the 1950s, European fleets have often been the first ones to fish new areas, including ACP EEZs through fishing agreements. This also allowed EU fleets to build up their track records of catches, still often used to allocate access, in most RFMOs. In the case of ACP countries having given access to EU fleets over the years, the EU is often considered the ‘historical partner’. The EU, because of this historical presence of its fleets in high seas and in ACP countries’ waters, has indeed a particular responsibility and role to play to promote sustainable fisheries internationally. However, new long-distance fleets, particularly from Asia, have developed and ensuring sustainable fisheries on the international stage cannot be done by targeting EU fleets alone. A dialogue between the EU and those other distant-water fishing countries, as well as with coastal countries, including the ACP countries, is necessary to set the scene for developing global sustainable fisheries.
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