Madrid wants to resume dialogue with Morocco over fishing, Minister

The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has voiced her Government's wish to resume dialogue with Morocco over the thorny issue of fisheries, Spanish media reported on Monday.

Elena Spinosa told the press in Galicia, (Northwester Spain) that she had started contacts with Moroccan authorities over this issue.

She urged Spanish fishing operators to prospect "most imaginative ways" to guarantee the development of the fisheries sectors in Galicia, including the creation of joint enterprises and the conclusion of agreements with third-party countries, in particular Morocco.

The Minister insisted on what she called "the opportunity provided by the opening of the situation" in an allusion to the recent visit to Morocco of Spain's New Prime Minister Jose Louis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Following Zapatero's visit to Morocco (April 24), the two countries vowed, in a joint communique, to usher a "new era of entente and bilateral cooperation based on confidence, solidarity and mutual respect."

They also decided to "promote and diversify" cooperation in the fields of fisheries, scientific research, aquaculture and maritime vocational training.

The Last bilateral fisheries agreement allowing Spanish fishermen to operate in Morocco's territorial waters expired in 1999.