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EU-Morocco fish deal: who's shown an interest so far?
So far, the Moroccan government has issued 65 licenses to EU vessels eager to fish in Moroccan and Western Saharan waters.
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From what Western Sahara Resource Watch understands, 65 issued licences have so far been distributed as follows: 56 to Spain, 1 to France, 3 to Lithuania, 2 to Latvia, 1 to the Netherlands and 2 to Portugal. Those are figures as of 18 September 2014.

A limited number of the remaining EU Member States, notable Germany, Ireland, Poland, UK and Italy, can also apply for licences in the future.

Not all of the licenced vessels have already started fishing. A small number of Spanish vessels have become active in the waters adjacent to Morocco proper over the weekend, while only one vessel, the Dutch-flagged Franziska, was spotted off Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara.

In accordance with the agreement, licences are issued by the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Sea Fisheries, to the Delegation of the Commission of the EU to Morocco.

There is a total of 108 fishing licences available under the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement. No less than 90 of those licences have been earmarked for Spain. In addition, the agreement allows for an annual 80.000 tonnes under the lucrative industrial pelagic category, which is up from 60.000 tonnes annually under the previous agreement. The 80.000 tonnes are divided into smaller quotas that are accorded to different EU Member States.

Particularly the pelagic category will draw vessels to the waters of Western Sahara, as the pelagic stocks of Morocco are largely depleted. Large parts of Western Sahara, including the waters, have been illegally and brutally occupied by Morocco since 1975. Economic activities in the territory are considered in violation of international law, unless they are in accordance with the wishes and the interests of the people of Western Sahara - as stipulated by the UN Legal Office.

No State in the world recognises Morocco's claim on Western Sahara, nor does the European Union - though it seems oblivious of its own stance when hard-nosed economic interests, such as fisheries, are at stake.




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News:

15.10 - 2019 / 15.10 - 2019THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER UPDATED
23.10 - 2015 / 23.10 - 2015Morocco continues to discard by-catches in occupied Western Sahara
29.06 - 2015 / 29.06 - 2015Moroccan government accused of fraud with EU anti-driftnet money
02.12 - 2014 / 02.12 - 2014Maria Damanaki opposed continued EU fishing in Western Sahara
18.09 - 2014 / 18.09 - 2014EU-Morocco fish deal: who's shown an interest so far?
18.09 - 2014 / 18.09 - 2014Dutch first to fish under unethical EU-Morocco fish deal
09.08 - 2014 / 09.08 - 2014UN former legal chief slams EU legal view as "preposterous"
21.07 - 2014 / 21.07 - 2014Illegal EU fish agreement with Morocco now ratified by King
14.03 - 2014 / 14.03 - 20149 detained, threats of jail if demonstrating against EU fisheries
11.02 - 2014 / 11.02 - 2014Here are the EU states that will benefit from the dirty fisheries
11.02 - 2014 / 11.02 - 2014Morocco adopts contentious EU-Morocco fish deal
10.12 - 2013 / 10.12 - 2013Occupied Sahara: EU undermining Human Rights on Human Rights Day
08.12 - 2013 / 08.12 - 2013More vids of demonstration and victims of EU/Moroccan plans in Sahara
08.12 - 2013 / 08.12 - 2013Western Sahara president asks UN intervention to stop EU and Morocco
08.12 - 2013 / 08.12 - 2013Many injured in protest against EU/Spain fish plans in Western Sahara
05.12 - 2013 / 05.12 - 2013EU fish plans illegal, 21 jurists and lawyers state
05.12 - 2013 / 05.12 - 2013267 organisations ask European Parliament to reject fish accord
04.12 - 2013 / 04.12 - 2013President of African Parliament calls on EU to respect Sahara rights
02.12 - 2013 / 02.12 - 2013Greenpeace: EU parliament must vote no to Western Sahara fisheries
18.11 - 2013 / 18.11 - 2013European Liberal Youth calls for no EU fishing in occupied Sahara






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The EU considers to pay Morocco to fish in occupied Western Sahara. An EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement from 2013 would be both politically controversial and in violation of international law. The international Fish Elsewhere! campaign demands the EU to avoid such unethical operations, and go fishing somewhere else. No fishing in Western Sahara should take place until the conflict is solved.
عريضة لوقف النهب

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يحضر الاتحاد الاوربي لإبرام اتفاق غير اخلاقي جديد للصيد البحري مع المغرب في سنة 2013.

مرة اخرى، يعتزم الاتحاد الاوربي الصيد في المياه الاقليمية للصحراء الغربية المحتلة في خرق سافر للقانون الدولي. وقع هذه العريضة للتنديد بذلك.

"EU fisheries in Western Sahara must be stopped"




Western Sahara human rights activist Aminatou Haidar hopes for increased attention to the EU plundering of occupied Western Sahara.

READ ALSO

10.04 - 2012
Guardian: EU taking its over-fishing habits to west African waters?
15.12 - 2011
EU Observer: Morocco expels EU fishing boats
15.12 - 2011
BBC News: Morocco's fish fight: High stakes over Western Sahara
15.12 - 2011
European Voice: MEPs reject EU-Morocco fisheries pact
15.12 - 2011
Reuters: EU lawmakers reject Morocco fisheries pact






Human rights activist Malak Amidane denounces EU fisheries