Brussels, 22/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - Application of the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement is not all plain sailing. After the incidents previously reported upon between Moroccan and Andalusian fishermen (see EUROPE 11159) a case concerning exploitation has now been flagged up - exploitation which supporters of the Sahrawi cause consider to be illegal. The case is denounced by the Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW), an international network of organisations and activists researching and campaigning the companies working for Moroccan interests in occupied Western Sahara.
In a press release on 19 September, WSRW states that “for the first time in nearly three years, a fishing vessel from the EU has been detected in the waters of occupied Western Sahara” (our translation). The vessel, the Franziska, is reportedly from the Netherlands and is a 6,900 tonne trawler. WSRW wants to draw the attention of the international community to this and in particular, the attention of the European Parliament. The Parliament has always demanded at each of its debates on this issue that the memorandums of understanding rule out exploitation of the waters bordering the disputed territory. On 16 June, the Polisario - which claims to represent the Sahrawi people - appealed for the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement to be annulled. (FB)