The president of the Andalusian Federation of Fisheries Associations (FAAPE), Pedro Maza, warned that the Moroccan fleet continues blocking fishing activities in some parts of the African fishery ground to some purse seiners and longliners from Spain.
According to the official, the purse seiners were forced to fish in areas “of small-scale fishery,” the agency Europa Press informed.
Maza said that the Moroccan vessels argued that they have “priority to stall before” and did not allow longliners to be located in certain areas.
FAAPE President regretted that the situation remains “as usual” and clarified that Spanish fishermen did not start “any provocation.”
Meanwhile, the main chief of the Fishermen’s Association of Barbate (Cádiz), Alfonso Reyes, confirmed the transfer of the purse seiners to regions where there are fewer fishing resources.
Maza has already communicated about the hamper for fishing activities in Moroccan waters to the Spanish government and demanded a solution because “there are some longliners that are considering not going to Moroccan waters any longer.”
“We’re waiting a little longer to see what happens and see if the European Union (EU), at the request of the Government, seeks a solution to this problem,” added FAAPE president.
Given this situation, the secretary general of PP political party of Cadiz, Antonio Saldaña, made it clear that the party offers its “full support” for fishermen affected by the sabotage performed by the fleet from Morocco.
Fishermen are “harassed by certain Moroccan fishermen that disagree about sharing these grounds,” he added, according to La Voz Digital.
From the regional government of Andalusia, Javier de Torre, executive deputy of Cadiz, said that it is “possible” that next week a meeting will be held between the Spanish and Moroccan fishing sectors, together with the competent authorities, to “normalize” the start of the bilateral agreement, Europa Sur reported.
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