The Saharawi syndicate is at it again; they have embarked upon a plan to stuff their coffers as soon as the clock strikes midnight on July 17 when the contentious European Union/Moroccan fisheries agreement expires, all under the guise of generosity and altruism towards the Canary Islands fishing fleet, likely to be the most profoundly affected by the termination.
Parties involved–the polisario, Spanish fishermen, and Morocco–will have to endure a period in limbo until a final ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which is expected later this year.
In the meantime, the polisario held a meeting last Friday to explore how best to capitalize on this rare judicial occurrence, the terms of which have been contested for several years now.
Spanish news source “El Independiente” reports that this marked the first meeting of the polisario with Spanish fishermen. The specific goal of the gathering was to discuss the granting of private licenses with which to fish in Sahrawi waters. The polisario has been erecting quite a team of lawyers as of late to bolster its cause, incidentally, for this purpose.
In September, 2021, the ruling of the General Court of the EU declared the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement null and void on the grounds that it had been concluded without the consent of the Sahrawi people, thereby allegedly in violation of international law.
Yet, there could be a wrench in the polisario plan. CEPESCA, the Spanish Fisheries Confederation, is skeptical about this potential stop-gap placed on the table. “In the event that there is the possibility of negotiating private licenses, there is a measure that regulates that concession. One thing is that you can negotiate with a third country, and another thing is that the EU gives you the authorization to do so,” explained the confederation’s secretary general, Javier Garat.”
Garat emphasized to sources the need to await the judgment of the Court of Justice.
The unknown variable is how the polisario could offer licenses, anyway, with what are essentially de facto Moroccan waters!