The head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama), Miguel Arias Cañete, expressed the Spanish government’s satisfaction at the settlement of the negotiation of the new fisheries agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco.
The minister also expressed hope for the coordinated action in the European Parliament (EP) to expedite the agreement ratification process for it to enter into force as soon as possible.
“This protocol fully meets the negotiating mandate of the EU Minister Council,” said Arias Cañete.
After nine months of intense negotiations, an agreement having “enormous economic, social and political importance” was reached and it will make it possible for a hundred Spanish fishing vessels mainly from Andalusia and the Canary Islands to return to Moroccan waters.
For the Government of Spain, the new bilateral agreement implies an improvement over the previous one, since the fishing opportunities increased, impacting positively on the profitability of the fleet.
As part of this new fisheries agreement there has been progress per modality.
For example, in Category 1, for artisanal purse seiners from the north (20 boats from Barbate with 350 crew members) the fishing area was expanded southwards, up to latitude 33° 25′ N, for up to five ships simultaneously in this fleet, with the possibility of increasing that number next year.
In the case of Category 2 artisanal bottom longliners from the north (24 ships from Algeciras, Barbate and Conil, with about 150 crew members) there will be five additional licenses with respect to the previous protocol.
Four of these boats will be able to also fish further south, as in the case of Category 1, in the first year after coming into effect; while in the second year the number of boats going southwards will increase.
In Category 3 — artisanal vessels from the Canary Islands (small scale) they will remain essentially under the previous fishing conditions.
Meanwhile, in Category 4 of demersal trawlers — up to five trawlers with a maximum of 600 GT each are allowed, as well as 11 bottom longliners having up to 150 GT.
And in the Category 5 — tuna boats from Canary Islands fishing with pole and other gear with hooks they will keep the essential technical conditions, while the obligation to land 25 per cent of the total annual catches of less valuable species, such as the bullet tuna or skipjack, is introduced.
Arias Cañete explained that improvements were obtained in another category in which Spanish ships have practically not participated so far: trawling for pelagic species, whose quota changes from 60,000 to 80,000 tonnes per year.
The new protocol will be in effect for four years and will have a financial compensation amounting to approximately EUR 40 million annually. Out of this total, EUR 16 million relate to access rights; EUR 14 million as sector support and cooperation to the Moroccan fisheries sector; and EUR 10 million from licensing fees from the various operators who, in the case of the Spanish ones, suppose an increase of approximately 12 per cent.
As the minister said, that amount “is considered acceptable.”
“In the category of large industrial pelagic fishers, the rise in captures and license fees has been higher, since previously they paid a very small compensation,” reported the head of Magrama.
The minister thanked the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI and the Moroccan Agriculture Minister, Aziz Akanouch, for the encouragement they offered to this protocol, which he described as “fundamental” to resume an agreement “that was interrupted due to an unfortunate vote of the EP.”
Finally, he called on the Spanish political parties for them to make an effort within the EP in order to “avoid repeating the unfortunate vote session that took place in December 2011, when this protocol failed to be ratified.”
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