Fisheries agreement with E.U. will not be renewed

Moroccan minister in charge of fisheries said Tuesday he informed a EU delegation which visited Morocco last week that the fisheries agreement which expires in 1999 will not be renewed.

Morocco and the European Union are bound by a fisheries agreement that will expire in 1999. Morocco had announced that it will not renew the agreement and will seek instead new forms of partnership with Europe, in a bid to protect its depleting sea resources, Map reported.

Speaking at the parliament's weekly question-time, the minister explained that this visit was officially meant to start contacts, and not negotiations, adding that the delegation wanted also to meet Moroccan operators in the sector.

He added that he made it clear to the European delegation that decisions on Morocco's policy in fisheries are part of the state sovereignty.