Fisheries professionals oppose renewal of Morocco-EU accord

Fisheries professionals operating in Southern Morocco have voiced opposition to the renewal of the four-year fisheries accord that was concluded with the European Union in 1994 and that expires in November 1999.

The region professionals, who were attending an ordinary session of the Agadir chamber of maritime fisheries, have sent a motion to the Moroccan Prime minister renewing their "unconditional backing to the government's official stand not to renew with third parts accords on the exploiting of national sea resources."

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.

For the Moroccan side, the Morocco-EU cooperation must seek another partnership formula, promoting joint ventures in fisheries-related sectors such as shipyards, ships maintenance, and sea-food processing, in addition to fish-farming.

The professionals explained that they are opposed to the renewal of the accord out of concern to preserve the country's sea resources which have been over-exploited by some countries. These countries are not at all concerned by the promotion of the sector nor by the environment protection, the professionals argue calling for a new approach seeking a sustained development.

The non-renewal of the accord opens promising prospects as the production will jump in year 2000 to 1.3 million tons, i.e. an increase of 50 % compared to the current production. Production will record a sustained increase of 6% per year to reach by 2003 some 1.5 million tons, the fisheries professional say.

Improvements will also be recorded at the level of fisheries related industries, local consumption and exports, private investments, jobs creation and returns, the motion stated.

In 1998, Sea products exports earned Morocco $ 740 Mln recording a 10 % increase compared to the previous year.

The performance was possible thanks to the increase of frozen goods exports which went up from 93,000 tons to nearly 120,000 tons. The volume of canned fish exports remained almost the same as the previous year with 52,000 tons, while their value increased by about 10 percent thanks to the increase of canned sardines price on the European Union markets.

With national territorial waters extending over 1.2 million KM2 and with a 3,500 km long sea coast, Morocco has huge sea resources and harbors over 840 fish species. In 1997, the sector posted a production of 782,000 tons worth 5 billion dirhams (about $ 500 million), and exports earned the country $ 700 million. The sector provides direct jobs to 400,000 persons in Morocco.