Spain says it will make pressures for resumption of its fishing in Morocco

Spanish minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, Jesus Posada, said his government will make the "adequate" pressures to obtain the resumption of fishing by its fleet in Moroccan waters.

According to the Spanish media, the Spanish official admitted that negotiations between Morocco and the European Union in fisheries are still in a preparatory phase and are not moving forward very rapidly.

Morocco refused to renew a four-year fisheries agreement with the European fleet, after it expired in November 99 and forced European boats, mostly Spanish ones, to stop activities in Moroccan fish-rich waters.

He reassured Spanish fish professionals that the European Commission will earmark a total of five billion dollars in subsidy to the sector.