Stop the EU fisheries in Western Sahara! 16.05 - 2013 09:22 The EU is planning to enter a new unethical fisheries agreement with Morocco in 2013. Once more, the EU intends to fish in the waters offshore occupied Western Sahara, in violation of international law. Protest by signing this petition!
Morocco against human rights in UN - silent vis-à-vis the EU23.04 - 2013 While Morocco is lobbying hard against a proposal to have the UN monitor human rights in Western Sahara, EU Commissioner for Fisheries has stated that she is still awaiting Rabat's response to the proposal for including human rights safeguards for the Western Sahara territory in a new EU-Morocco fisheries protocol.Read more
Morocco: “European Parliament is a dinosaur”05.04 - 2013 The Moroccan Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Youssef Amrani, says that the European Parliament is a “dinosaur” that obstructs efforts to reach a new EU-Morocco fisheries agreement.Read more
Factious fish talks fail17.01 - 2013 No agreement was reached during the third round of talks between the EU and Morocco, yesterday in Rabat. The parties have agreed to meet again at the end of the month.Read more
EU and Morocco to continue fish talks mid-January 02.01 - 2013 The European Commission and the Moroccan government will continue their talks on a new fisheries agreement on 15 and 16 January in Rabat. Meanwhile the Spanish government insists on sealing the deal as soon as possible.
Polisario expresses concern to Security Council over EU fisheries28.11 - 2012 Same day as the EU will receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, the union carries out a new round negotiations over illegal fisheries in Western Sahara. The Security Council will be briefed on the Western Sahara issue today, two days after receiving a letter where Polisario expresses its worry over the EU fishy involvement in the conflict.Read more
Travelled to interview on EU fish deal - expelled from Western Sahara09.11 - 2012 4 Norwegian youth politicians are currently, 6 November 2012, expelled from occupied Western Sahara. The group travelled to the territory to meet with Saharawi human rights activists – and to learn how the Saharawis view the EU’s plans this week to negotiate a new deal for illegal fisheries offshore the occupied territory.Read more
New illegal EU-Morocco fish talks being pushed through29.10 - 2012 Without consulting with the Saharawi people in Western Sahara, the EU will next week try to conclude the talks on EU-Morocco fish deal offshore the occupied territory, under same terms as the one that was rejected by the European Parliament in 2011.Read more
EU continues the fish talks21.10 - 2012 The timing could hardly be worse. A new round of EU negotiations with Morocco regarding fisheries offshore occupied Western Sahara starts in three weeks, exactly as the UN peace mediator will visit Western Sahara to kick new life into the peace talks.Read more
Saharawi fishermen protest exclusion from employment 23.06 - 2012 On 20 June, three officially registered Saharawi fishermen organisations gathered in front of the Delegation of Maritime Fisheries in El Aaiun, to denounce the exclusion and marginalisation they face in the job market.
Western Sahara fishing: Morocco plays hide and seek with EU 14.06 - 2012 When an unofficial delegation from the European Parliament visited Dakhla city in occupied Western Sahara, the Moroccan government pulled the foreign flagged European fleet out of the harbour. After hiding 8 km offshore Dakhla for a day, the vessels returned (video). Read more
Morocco announces interest in new fisheries agreement25.04 - 2012 Last Friday, Morocco announced its willingness to engage in a new fisheries agreement with the European Union. "The talks must respect international law, and should be immediately halted until the Saharawi have been consulted", stated WSRW.Read more
Here is the evaluation report of the Morocco fish deal05.03 - 2012 In June 2011, WSRW - together with other organisations - issued a first request to the European Commission, soliciting the independent evaluation report of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement become part of the public domain. The Commission has now agreed to release the report. Read it here.Read more
Basque Parliament: exclude Western Sahara from new Morocco fish deal 14.02 - 2012 The Parliament of Basque country is unanimous: if the European Union is to negotiate a new fisheries agreement with Morocco, it should exclude the territorial waters of Western Sahara from the deal’s geographical scope, in order to respect the rights of the Saharawi people.
EU Council still split over reference to Western Sahara26.01 - 2012 EU Member States are still divided as to whether an explicit reference to Western Sahara should be included in the European Commission’s sought mandate to negotiate a new fish deal with Morocco. The Commission requested the Council’s approval three weeks ago.Read more
European Commission seeks new fish deal with Morocco17.01 - 2012 On 5 January, the European Commission issued a request to the EU Member States, seeking their support to conduct negotiations with Morocco in order to achieve a new, long-term fisheries protocol. The fishing zones covered by the envisioned accord also include Western Saharan waters.Read more
Fish Commissioner insists on international law15.12 - 2011 EU Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, previously suggested EU fisheries agreement with Morocco should not apply to Western Sahara. Now, she repeats the message.Read more
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.
