Fisheries: Portuguese operators eye Morocco again
Morocco-Portugal, Economics, 8/9/2001

The Portuguese government is encouraging ship owners who have been affected by the non-renewal of the fishery accord between Morocco and the European Union to set up joint ventures with operators from African countries having a license to fish in Moroccan grounds.

According to Diario Economico daily, the Portuguese secretariat of state for fisheries is projecting to dispatch business missions to Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Angola.

Owners of trawlers, that are less than 10 year old, can set up joint ventures with third countries, with a EU assistance.

As an institutional accord between Morocco and Portugal has been impossible to reach, Portuguese ship owners that used to operate in Moroccan grounds can use the European assistance (about 4.5 million DH) to set up joint ventures with Moroccan operators, or dismantle their fleet with an assistance worth 6 million DH.

A Portuguese mission will also visit Cape Verde to try to get nine fishing licenses. Portugal is hoping to get 15 licenses in Mauritania, 8 in Angola and 8 or 9 in Guinea Bissau.

Some 50 Portuguese trawlers have been paralyzed since the previous Morocco-EU expired in November 1999.

Morocco refused to renew the Morocco-EU fisheries accord under its previous formula out of concern to safeguard its depleting sea resources. Since September 2000, Morocco and the EU held several technical and political rounds of negotiations in a bid to strike a new fishery accord but the negotiations reached no result.

Morocco has repeatedly voiced its willingness to carry on the negotiations insisting however that the UE must understand Morocco's concerns over the situation of the fishery sector and the biological and economic goals it targets.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco, Portugal resolved to enhance economic, financial cooperation   (5/16/2001)
  Moroccan-Portuguese high level meeting convenes in Lisbon   (5/15/2001)
  Moroccan, Portuguese fisheries ministers meet in Fez   (4/20/2001)

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