Moroccan and Spanish fishermen ask EU to renew agreement
"We have committed ourselves to do everything in our power to defend it", says Kamal Bennouna Slawi, president of the Shipping and Fisheries Association of Tangiers. The EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement is considered illegal for including the Non-Self Governing Territory of Western Sahara.
Rabat. –The Spanish and Moroccan fisheries sector’s main federations and associations have met in Tangiers last Saturday to discuss issues regarding commercialisation and distribution, as the president of the Shipping and Fisheries Association of Tangiers, Mr. Kamal Bennouna Slawi, informed El Mundo.
“We have debated the importance of a fluid communication between representatives of the sector of both countries, and to this end we have set up a joint committee”, Bennouna continued. A commission of 12 members, 6 of each country, will meet every semester to assess and evaluate the perspectives of the sector’s future.
A union of “great importance”, dixit Bennouna, “because we shouldn’t forget that about 90% of our fresh fish is destined for the Spanish markets, as well as 40% of the frozen fish”.
Moreover, 150 vessels of joint Spanish-Moroccan companies work in Morocco “and there is a major investment in Spain in processing plants and distribution logistics”; not to mention the 100 Spanish vessels fishing in the Alaui kingdom “thanks to the agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco”.
“Our intention is to be able to transmit our needs to the governments of both countries, as well as to the European Union; the Spanish investments in Morocco’s fisheries sector are very strong”.
Bennouna expressed his wish to see the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement – set to expire in March - renewed “as quickly as possible”. “Especially for the Andalusian and Galician fleets, that don’t have the autonomy to go to further off waters”.
According to Bennouna, it was agreed after the meeting to “inform the public opinion of both countries on the importance of redirecting the agreement with the EU; to contact the governments of both countries to protect our interests and to coordinate actions to protect the fisheries resources of Morocco and Spain”.
Historical meeting for all involved
Pedro Maza, vice-president of the Spanish fisheries Confederation (Cepesca) and president of the Andalusian Association of Fishermen, has labelled the event as a “historical” meeting, because it had been years since representatives of both countries’ fisheries sectors had met.
Like Bennouna, Maza called for “the renewal of the fisheries agreement with the EU; the Moroccan government’s disposition to this effect is favourable, as is that of the Spanish government”.
Nevertheless, “given the date, and in absence of any movement, we should submit to a paralysing hiatus due to lack of agreement”, said Maza, who was confident that there would be no problems to reach a consensus on the Western Saharan conflict, as European vessels are fishing in Saharan waters (over one hundred of these vessels are Spanish).
In 1987, “the first agreement of this kind was signed with the EU and up to now no one had mentioned there’d be any problems linked to fishing in the Saharan waters, so I hope there won’t be any problems this time around”.
According to Efe, the European Commission’s services have raised “objections” to Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki’s suggestion to exclude the Western Saharan waters from renewal negotiations.
The President of the Shipping and Fisheries Association of Tangiers has stressed that “many jobs in Spain and Morocco depend upon this activity; therefore we have committed ourselves to do everything in our power to defend it”.
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.
