Morocco is seeking enriched, value-added partnerships that aligns with Morocco’s fisheries policy and marine ecosystem variables, said Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on Wednesday, commenting on the Morocco-EU Fisheries Agreement which is set to expire on July 17.
Bourita, who was speaking to the press following the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Atlantic African States Process, explained that the fisheries accord between Morocco and the EU is still ongoing, but its 4-year protocol will come to an end on July 17 as planned.
He said that a meeting has been scheduled for this week in Brussels between the Moroccan authorities and their European counterparts, as part of a Joint Committee on Fisheries, to conduct an assessment of these four years.
The EU General Court quashed the said bilateral agreement in 2021 over the Moroccan Sahara dispute.
Many of the 128 boats fishing in Moroccan territorial waters under the agreement are from Spain.
According to government figures, Morocco’s fisheries exports increased 13% to $2.8 billion in 2022.