Moroccan fisheries minister in Madrid

Moroccan minister in charge of fisheries Thami Khyari is expected in Madrid this Tuesday on a short working visit at the invitation of the Spanish minister of agriculture, food and fisheries.

Spain is among the European countries that benefit from the Morocco-European Union fisheries accord under which nearly 600 European trawlers, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, operate in Moroccan waters.

Morocco has announced that it will not renew the four-year accord that expires in 1999 in a bid to protect its depleting sea resources. It proposes to Spain and Portugal another cooperation and partnership formula, providing for the promotion of sea products industries, scientific research, vocational training, shipyards as well as the modernization and extension of Moroccan fishing ports.

Khyari visited Lisbon some ten days ago to attend the works of the Moroccan-Portuguese fisheries joint commission that examined bilateral cooperation in matters of scientific research, fisheries industries and maritime training.