The European Union has reached a fisheries agreement with Mauritania to help the north African country develop a sustainable fishing sector and allow EU vessels to fish in its waters.
The EU says it will pay Mauritania $654 million over the next six years. Money will go to upgrade ports, impose stricter fishing controls and improve the country's fishing fleet.
The agreement allows 200 vessels from EU countries to fish in Mauritanian waters for shrimp, tuna and other species.
It also reduces quotas for species that are in danger of depletion.
Bloomberg news agency quotes EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg as saying the EU is seeking to balance the demands of its fishermen against the need to preserve stocks that scientists say have been depleted by decades of over-exploitation.
Vessels from 13 EU countries are expected to fish in Mauritanian waters under the agreement. They are Britain, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland. Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.