Morocco, Spain discuss resuming fisheries cooperation, Spanish FM
Morocco-Spain, Economics, 9/14/2004

Spanish minister of agriculture, fisheries and alimentation, Elena Espinosa, said Sunday Morocco and Spain will discuss in September the reactivation of fisheries cooperation.

Espinosa told the Spanish agency Europapress arrangements are being made to prepare for a meeting between her and Moroccan minister of agriculture, rural development and fisheries, Mohand Laenser.

The Spanish minister went on to say that a meeting between fisheries officials of the two countries is scheduled for November, before the holding of an oceanographic prospecting mission of fisheries resources in Moroccan waters, with the Spanish ship Vizconde de Eza.

The official recalled how the visit, last April, of Spanish premier to Morocco made it possible to relaunch dialogue between the two countries that signed a protocol of agreement to boost research and training in the field.

Answering a question on whether a new agreement is possible with Morocco, the minister said the issue concerns the European Union. "No country of the Union can have bilateral talks on accords of exploitation or resources," she said.

The latest Morocco-EU fisheries accord expired in November 1999. Morocco refused to renew it 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 EU must understand Morocco's concerns over the situation of the fishery sector and the biological and economic goals it targets.

Previous Stories:
  Madrid wants to resume dialogue with Morocco over fishing, Minister   (5/5/2004)
  Morocco and Spain sign MoU on fisheries   (3/10/2004)
  Morocco and Spanish local government of Catalunia to sign agriculture agreement   (2/14/2003)

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