Morocco and Russia extend fishing accord

Morocco and Russia agreed Thursday to extend by one year the three-year fishing accord they signed in 1995.

According to the new terms of the accord, the Russian fleet operating in Moroccan waters will be lowered from 14 ships to 12 while catches were fixed at 90,000 tons against 100,000 tons in the previous accord.

Morocco is also linked with a fishing accord with the European Union. The accord to expire in December 1999 and will not be renewed.

Morocco, which is keen on protecting its depleting halieutic resources, proposed instead to its EU partners (namely Spain and Portugal) a new form of cooperation and partnership in the fishing sector.

The Moroccans offer Europeans the launching of joint ventures in sea products and the consolidation of cooperation in sea-food processing, fish-farming, ship maintenance, scientific research, vocational training and ports modernization.