Spain supports new forms of fisheries cooperation with Morocco
Morocco-Spain, Economics, 7/15/1999

Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Jesus Posada said Spain supports new forms of cooperation with Morocco in matters of fisheries.

The Spanish official, who started on Tuesday a two-day official visit to Morocco, conferred with several members of the Moroccan Cabinet, including Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries Habib Malki, Minister in Charge of the Government General Affairs Ahmed Lahlimi, and Minister in Charge of Fisheries Thami Khyari.

During the talks, Jesus Posada voiced Spain's readiness to contribute to the promotion of the fisheries sector in Morocco.

Morocco, which is bound to the European Union by a four-year fisheries accord, under which nearly 600 European trawlers, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, operate in Moroccan waters, officially announced that it will not renew the accord when it expires on November 30, 1999. The decision was prompted by the kingdom's concern to protect its depleting sea resources. Meanwhile, Spain said it was ready to negotiate a different accord based on the creation of joint ventures.

Posada had told reporters upon arrival in Rabat that he would discuss with Moroccan officials "all formula likely to lead to an agreement satisfying the two sides."

He added that his visit, the first to the kingdom since his appointment to the post last May, is meant to establish contacts with Moroccan officials and explore means of upgrading bilateral relations.

Official sources in Madrid had said on the eve of Posada's visit that talks will focus on the evolution of negotiations between Morocco and the European Union on the fisheries accord, and Posada himself said that Spain and the Spanish fisheries sector grant importance to reaching an accord with Morocco.

Moroccan fisheries professionals are opposed to the renewal of the accord with the European Union and have rejected the proposal to set up joint ventures with the European Union, saying that this is a mere attempt "to carry on in a disguised form the looting of Morocco's sea resources" and that the Europeans would be the only beneficiary of this new formula.

They argue that in case the accord with the European Union is not renewed their catches would jump to 1.5 million tons in 2003, from a present 700,000 tons. The departure of the entire foreign fleet from Moroccan territorial waters will create 100,000 new jobs and will double the foreign currency incomes to $1.5 billion, the professionals say.

Previous Stories:
  Spain wishes to reach with Morocco a fisheries accord   (7/14/1999)
  Spanish agriculture, fisheries minister starts visit to Morocco   (7/13/1999)
  All Moroccan-Spanish thorny issues were reviewed, says speaker of Moroccan upper legislative chamber   (6/24/1999)

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