Moroccan fisheries deal on the horizon

Date: 19/10/1995

By Michael Mann

THE European Union and Morocco are on the brink of tying up a new four-year fisheries accord after months of fraught negotiations.

Experts have started putting together a detailed final text to build on a political agreement announced last week by Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino. A final deal is expected within the week.

Agreement would release 730 Spanish and Portuguese vessels which have been laid up in port since the last accord ended a year early at the end of April and improve political relations with Morocco in the run up to next month's Euro-Mediterranean conference.

The Commission is not giving away details at such a delicate stage in the negotiations, but it is already clear that the EU will reduce its catches of all the main species in Moroccan waters.

A Commission official stressed that “these kinds of reductions make for big news in Spain, but they must be put in context with the balance of the rest of the agreement”.

EU vessels will have to cut catches of squid and octopus in Moroccan waters by about 40&percent;, of shrimps by about 30&percent; and of sardines by 20&percent;. They will also have to land a percentage of their catch at Moroccan ports and take on some Moroccan crew. Financial compensation received by Rabat is expected to rise from 102 million ecu per year to 125 million.