Cluster: Fishing Companies in Third Countries

Cluster de Empresas Pesqueras en Países Terceros (CEPPT) defends the interests of its associated companies, which are fishing companies having invested overseas.

One of its main objectives is to have acknowledged, through Community law, the important role that they play in development cooperation with countries where their fleets operate.

CEPPT aims at achieving this in the following manner:

Promoting cooperation among the different agents of public entities and private companies.

Organising working groups to evaluate the needs in those countries in order to improve the infrastructure of their respective fishing sectors.

Promoting fishing agreements and development cooperation with third countries within the framework of national and community policies.

Implementing research and technological progress schemes to promote the setting up of fishing companies with investments overseas and their development in the activities of processing, packaging and trading.

Fostering the training of CEPPT crews, the majority of which come from third countries.

Orientating such companies towards the export of products of greater added value ir order to strengthen their competitiveness in the European market.

Thanks to the initiative and the great commitment of the people who work for fishing companies with investments overseas, employment, wealth and stability are being generated in third countries. Indeed, more than 17,000 job positions have been created, of which 86% alone is filled by non-community workers. Besides, the efforts of fishing companies with investments overseas also contribute to the sustainable exploitation of fishing grounds and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

For this to continue being possible, these countries have to be provided with the necessary means to renew their fleet so as to obtain improvements in hygiene, health and market supply, thus guaranteeing the future viability of companies operating there. This can only be achieved with financial help for cooperation, which can be instrumented through development programmes.

In short, the aim of the CEPPT through these initiatives is to broaden horizons for a future based on sustainability and close cooperation with developing countries.