Brussels, 12/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 8 March, the joint EU/Morocco committee held its first session in Rabat, on the implementation of the fisheries agreement between the parties (EUROPE 9380). During this meeting, which was chaired by Mohammed Tarmidi, the secretary-general of the fisheries Department of Morocco and César Deben, the director for external policies and markets at DG Fisheries in the European Commission, both delegations laid emphasis on the fact that the entry into force of the agreement will now allow Community vessels to enter Moroccan fishing zones.
The technical discussions focused on the use, by Community seiners in the north Atlantic, of artificial lights as a means to concentrate small deep-sea species; fishing gear authorised for the category of artisanal fishing in the North (fish hooks and long lines); and by-catch for the category of artisanal fishing in the South. Other sensitive issues were raised, including the boarding of Moroccan fishermen; landing a proportion of the catch of Community vessels in Morocco; and satellite vessel monitoring.
Under the heading of landings, Mohamed Tarmidi, the negotiator-in-chief for the Moroccan delegation, stressed that if Morocco manages to demand the landing of 20% of European catch in Moroccan waters, “this would be a good start”. Lastly, both sides agreed to a further meeting, in order to set in place the institutional mechanisms provided for by the agreement, and which will be designed to promote the investment and economic integration of the European operators in the fisheries sector in Morocco. It is worth noting that, in line with the fishing agreement, 119 European vessels will be able to take up to 60,000 tonnes of fish every year. In return for this, the EU will pay Rabat €163 million for four years of operations. (lc)