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Sweden demands transparency from Commission
Swedish Minister of agriculture, Mr. Eskil Erlandsson wants the Commission to put all its cards on the table regarding the EU’s fisheries offshore occupied Western Sahara.
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By Arto Valtonen,
Tidskriften Västsahara (Sweden)

“The question about whether the Sahrawis benefit from the agreement is not sufficiently clarified”, stated the Swedish Minister of agriculture, Mr. Eskil Erlandsson.

If the Commission cannot prove that the agreement is according to the Sahrawis’ wishes and interests, Erlandsson will personally raise the issue with the Commission. He said that the fisheries cooperation is going to be influenced by the legal opinion.

For the agreement to be in accordance with international law, the Sahrawis must have given their consent to it, and the benefits from the fisheries must accrue to them.

”The opinion is an important basis for the continued discussions with Morocco”, stated Erlandsson.

One can sense a certain irritation between the lines in Mr. Erlandsson’s statement. The Swedish Minister of agriculture has had no information about the legal opinion, despite the fact that it was made already on 13 July 2009.

”I have not known about this opinion, which was requested by the EU parliament until it was made public the other day by, what I understand, is a voluntary organisation”, he said.

Considering that Sweden chaired the EU’s presidency while the opinion was made, sources in the Ministry said it is “strange” that the opinion was shared neither with the Swedish delegation in Brussels, nor with the Minister of agriculture.

Translated to English by Western Sahara Resource Watch.




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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