Morocco has finally done a deal with the EU to re-open the rich Moroccan fisheries to a starved EU capture and processing industry. It is five years since Morocco refused in November 1999 to renew its agreement with Brussels, hitting supplies for EU catching and processing industries and putting heavy pressure on Spanish and Portuguese companies which had invested heavily in fishing effort in Moroccan waters.
Moroccan analysts say it represents a victory and other developing countries will see it as such in their dealings with the world's biggest trading bloc.
The failure to reach a new deal over the EU's biggest fishing agreement with any country in the world, was a thorn in the side of EU fisheries commissioner Dr Franz Fischler during his last five years ruling the Common Fisheries Policy, reports Peter O'Neill.
The Moroccans always told World Fishing that it was not about cash payments from the EU but their long-term desire to make sure more fish was caught by their own citizens, as crew on foreign vessels, more landings in their own ports and the creation of new land jobs and value-added infrastructure. Moroccans said they felt passed over when, despite their long relationship with Europe, Eastern European countries were prepared for EU membership and then allowed to join as full members. The four-year deal, announced on 28 July by commissioner Joe Borg [right], is dramatically smaller than the 1995-1999 one. No doubt pleased at a breakthrough which evaded Fischler, it covers only 119 EU vessels and an annual quota of 60,000 tonnes of small pelagic species. The earlier deal covered a high of 629 vessels and vast amounts of catch (plus much undeclared catch) and an EU cash payment of €500 million to Morocco. The Commission, Spain and Portugal then ended up paying €300 million more to help out their own fishermen and scrap vessels in the years that Fischler failed to get a deal.
It will start March 2006 (subject to EU Council and Parliament clearance) and Morocco will get a total of just €144 million, much of it, EU officials said, earmarked to help its small-scale fleet and support sustainable fishing activities.
Reports in the Moroccan press said it would mean direct and indirect jobs for some 700 Spanish in the industry. There will be increased home landings (25 per cent in 2006, rising to 50 per cent in 2009). The vessels breakdown is: pelagic fisheries (seiners): 20 vessels; lines, pole and line, and traps: 20 vessels; long liners: 30 vessels; tuna pole and line: 27 vessels. For demersal it will be: long lines, trawls and nets: 22 vessels. The average annual quota of 60,000 tonnes will reduce each year. It is expected that Spanish, Portuguese, French and Greek fleets will be the main beneficiaries.
The deal includes helping modernise and restructure Morocco's coastal fleet, reducing the impact of the withdrawal of driftnets, scientific research, training, modernised marketing and promotion and improving landing and handling of fisheries products. Foreign vessel owners will contribute €3 million for licenses.
Mohammed Tarmidi, secretary general at the Department of Sea Fisheries and lead of the Moroccan delegation for negotiations was reported as saying: "On the political level, we need this agreement with the EU, but not at any price. We would like the potential agreement to have a certain and positive impact on the sector". Analysts say the deal is seen as a political victory for Morocco on the big issue of how developing retain more control of their product and avoid losing the value added to rich countries with advanced processing facilities and markets.
