7th Round of Morocco-EU Ends Without Results

Morocco and the European Union held this Friday the 7th round of technical discussions on future cooperation in fisheries without reaching any results.

Ghani Tijani and Steffenn Smidt, heads of the Moroccan and European delegations, first held a three-hour private meeting before being joined by other members of the two delegations. The delegations parted without announcing any breakthrough.

Morocco wants a new cooperation formula in fisheries that takes into account depleting fish stocks and the sector development and modernization requirements. Morocco says it is open to all cooperation formulas, except for direct fishing.

Estimates of the fishing department say in the 2000-2004 period investments in the sector will reach $ 700 million, of which 2/3 will be provided by the private sector. It is also expected that the sector produces a total of 1.5 million tons.

Some 600 European trawlers, mostly Spanish, were brought to a forced mooring in November 1999 as Morocco refused to renew a new fisheries agreement providing for direct fishing activities.