Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mohammed Sadiki, announced that the country will begin negotiations to renew its fishing agreement with the European Union (EU) on a new basis.
The current agreement, which expires on July 17, 2023, allows around 128 EU ships to fish part of the available surplus in Moroccan waters in return for about 208 million euros.
Sadiki spoke during a forum held by the Maghreb Arab News Agency, where he emphasized that the fishing sector in Morocco has important export capabilities and valuation, underscoring the country’s strong negotiating position.
The partnership between the EU and Morocco in marine fishing has lasted for more than 30 years, with bilateral agreements and implementation protocols signed since 1988, the last of which was renewed in 2019.
The current agreement implements a quota system, with a quota of 100,000 tons per year for some types of fish for coastal fishing.
It also mandates that Moroccan sailors board EU ships and unload a percentage of the quantities caught in Moroccan ports.
The possibility of renewing the current agreement remains in doubt, with the decision of the European Court of Justice in September 2021 to freeze trade agreements between the EU and Morocco, including agricultural and fish products, citing lack of consent from inhabitants of the Sahara.
Peter Stano, the official spokesperson for the EU, stated that “pending the decision of the European Court of Justice, the implementation of the current protocol may continue until the end of its term on July 17, 2023.”
He also confirmed that ideas for a new partnership are in the works, but did not provide further details. This issue mainly concerns Spain, as most of the ships that fish under the agreement are Spanish.
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