Fisheries accord will not be renewed, minister says

The Moroccan Fisheries Minister reiterated Wednesday Morocco's decision not to renew the fisheries accord binding Morocco and the European Union. Thami Khyari, who termed the accord as "unfair," said the agreement does not give Morocco the possibility to preserve its sea resources.

The Morocco-EU fisheries accord was signed in February 1996 after long months of tough negotiations between the two sides. Parallel to this agreement, the two sides concluded an association accord that will pave the way for the establishment of a bilateral free trade area by the year 2010, Map reported.

Khyari said cooperation between Morocco and the EU is not restricted to the fisheries accord. He added that there are fields of cooperation, including naval industry. Europe supplies 90 percent of Morocco's ships, he said.

The minister stressed the need to preserve Morocco's sea resources while meeting the needs of the European fish market.