Moroccan fishing professionals say departure of foreign fleet will generate $1.5 billion

The departure of the entire foreign fleet from Moroccan territorial waters will create 100,000 new jobs and double foreign currency incomes to $1.5 billion, said Moroccan fishing professionals.

The fish professionals said that if no foreign fleet is authorized in national territories, they are able to maintain the present 400,000 jobs and ask the government to clarify their stance regarding the non-renewal of the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement upon its expiration in November 1999.

They also castigated the over-exploitation of Moroccan sea resources by the foreign fleet and wonder why the government has been freezing since 1992 any national investment in fish captures.

Meanwhile, the house of representatives (lower chamber of parliament) adopted a draft law that modifies and completes a dahir (Royal decree) acting as a law regulating sea fisheries.

The new draft law deals with the rationalization of sea resources exploitation and lists a series of measures and provisions for good, rational and lasting fishing activities to protect Moroccan sea wealth.

Among these measures, the draft law provides for outfitting fishing boats with a device that will monitor the boats location, detect unauthorized boats and consolidate the safety of boats and crews.

Morocco has officially announced that it will not renew the Morocco - European Union four-year fisheries accord when it expires in November 1999. Nearly 600 European trawlers, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, operate in Moroccan waters under this accord.

Morocco said it will seek other cooperation formula, through promoting joint ventures in fisheries-related sectors such as shipyards, ships maintenance, and sea-food processing in addition to fish-farming.

Moroccan fisheries professionals argue that the joint ventures must be submitted to tough control as to the volume and nature of catches. They must also unload their catches in Moroccan ports and must necessarily hire Moroccan seamen in equal numbers with the Europeans.

They uphold that the non-renewal of the accord with the European Union would undoubtedly have a positive incidence on the fisheries sector, as the Moroccan fleet catches would jump to 1.5 million tons in 2003, while these catches do not exceed 700,000 tons at present, noting that fish consumption in Morocco stands at only 7 kg per person per year while it exceeds 60 kg per person in Spain and Portugal.