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Polisario requests EU to stop fisheries
In advance of next week’s first ever EU-Morocco summit, Polisario urges the EU Commission to halt illegal fisheries offshore occupied Western Sahara.
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In advance of next week’s EU-Morocco summit, Mohamed Sidati, Minister for Europe of the Frente POLISARIO, the political representation of the people of Western Sahara, has written to Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, to demand that the European Commission intervene immediately to prevent any further fishing by EU vessels in the waters adjacent to Western Sahara. Download the letter to Commissioner Damanaki here.  

Last week, in a previously confidential legal opinion, the European Parliament’s Legal Service declared fishing by European vessels in Western Sahara’s waters under the terms of the EU-Morocco FPA to be in violation of international law.

The new opinion confirms that under the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Morocco, European vessels are fishing Western Sahara’s rich waters, and that the Saharawi population of Western Sahara has never been consulted nor received any benefits from the exploitation of their rich fisheries resources.  This is illegal under international law.  The new opinion calls on the European Commission to suspend or amend the EU-Morocco agreement to ensure that “EU-flagged vessels are excluded from the exploitation of the waters of Western Sahara .”

During the debate on the new opinion in the European Parliament on 23 February, the European Commission rejected this analysis and asserted that there was no evidence to suggest that the Saharawi people was not benefiting from the agreement.

This new letter challenges the Commission’s assertion, demonstrating that on many occasions over the last 5 years, the representatives of the Saharawi people of Western Sahara have confirmed repeatedly to the Commission that the FPA is contrary to their wishes, and in violation of international law.

For further information, please contact Dean Bialek at dean.bialek@independentdiplomat.org




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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