Andalusian government prospects fisheries joint venture with Morocco

The autonomous government of Andalusia has crafted a project to set up a fisheries joint venture with Morocco, to allow more than one hundred small boats to operate in Moroccan waters, through the signing of private deals with Moroccan sides.

Local official in charge of agriculture and fisheries, Paulino Plata, told a conference on food security the project that will be finalized shortly will be submitted to the central government and to the European Union. It still depends on the amendment of the "fisheries orientation financial tool" to be examined by the upcoming meeting of EU fishery ministers on June 18.

He added that Morocco has a "flexible" attitude toward the joint venture project, despite the existence of some difficulties. The greatest difficulties come from the EU, he explained.

The Andalusian local government is prospecting this possibility as an alternative to the absence of a fisheries agreement after Morocco and the European Union failed to renew the previous one.

The project is estimated to cost 50 billion pesetas, of which 75% should be brought by the EU and the rest by the central and regional governments of Spain.