Sao Tomé and Principe

It proposes a reasonably generous settlement with the government of Sao Tomé and Principe.

Mr President, on the face of it, the Sao Tomé and Principe accord seems something of little significance to this Parliament.

It is in a rather unusual position in that the fishing possibilities for the Sao Tomé and Principe fishermen themselves are very limited because of the peculiarities of the waters around the islands.

Sao Tomé and Principe is one of the poorest countries in the world and it is heavily dependent on the income which it receives from the fisheries agreement with the European Union to make ends meet.

Membership: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, Zaïre (observer: Angola).

There are two cases: one concerns bycatches, which is rather a sore point with both conservationists and the local fish-consuming community; the other concerns the desirability of hiring Sao Tomé and Principe crew on the fishing boats.

In some countries, such as Sao Tomé and Principe, groups of this species find homes in the cocoa trees of the large plantations, which offer an excellent environment with roosts, adequately spaced trees, and many insects to feed upon.