Russia has officially opened the door for its fishing companies to apply for new fishing quotas in Morocco’s Atlantic waters, covering key species like sardines, mackerel, anchovy, sardinella, horse mackerel, and other small pelagic fish.
The move follows a fresh fisheries cooperation deal signed between Rabat and Moscow in mid-October, according to an announcement by Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries and Oceanography.
The Russian agency said it will accept applications from January 12 to January 30, 2026, a window of 15 working days.
The quotas are part of the share granted to Russia under the bilateral fisheries agreement with Morocco and apply to both industrial fishing and coastal fishing activities.
Under the announcement, the quotas will be distributed to eligible Russian operators in line with national fisheries rules and international agreements that govern fishing activities outside Russian waters.
The agency made it clear that applications must follow a specific official format used for allocating fishing rights under international fisheries agreements.
Russian authorities also stressed that accuracy matters. Any application found to include false or misleading information will be rejected outright.
Companies that secure quotas will then be required to fully respect fishing regulations in Morocco’s Atlantic waters, where Morocco exercises full sovereign rights and legal authority. This includes compliance with catch limits, approved fishing zones, and environmental rules.
The current application round is linked to the expiration of previous quota contracts approved by Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2019. New contracts will be signed with successful applicants once the review process is completed.
This step comes after Morocco and Russia signed a new four-year fisheries cooperation agreement in October. The deal was signed by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and the head of Russia’s Federal Fisheries Agency, Ilya Shestakov.
The deal sets the legal framework that allows Russian fishing vessels to operate in Moroccan waters under clearly defined conditions.
Beyond fishing access, the agreement outlines strict limits on how much fish can be caught and where fishing is allowed. It also includes measures to protect marine ecosystems and strengthen the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Scientific and technical cooperation is another key pillar of the deal, with both countries agreeing to work together on research programs focused on marine resources.
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