Moroccan ship owners want to be part in reflection

In the wake of the visit to Morocco of the European commissioner for agriculture and fisheries, Franz Fischler, Moroccan ship owners said Wednesday they should be involved in any reflection on cooperation prospects in fisheries with EU.

After a general assembly of maritime chambers, federation chairman Hibatou Maelainin commented on the announcement by Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi that the two sides will ponder separately the future of cooperation excluding fishing, saying they backed the government stand and stressed the necessity to associate them with any reflection process initiated.

Ship owners said in a press release of their federation they are struck by European obstinacy to open talks on fishing at a time when they are enforcing a whole array of measures to preserve their own halieutic stocks.