Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, stated on Wednesday in Rabat that Morocco will decide on the future of cooperation with the European Union (EU) in the field of fisheries after considering its own evaluations and consulting with European partners.
“The Morocco-EU Fisheries Agreement is still in effect. The fisheries Protocol, which was agreed to for four years (2019-2023), ends on July 17 instead, according to Bourita, who was speaking at a news conference following the third Ministerial Meeting of the Atlantic African States Process.
This is, the Minister added, a “programmed” expiry since the conclusion of the Protocol for a period of 4 years, starting on July 18, 2019.
Bourita described as “satisfactory” the implementation of the Protocol, noting that cooperation had been “positive and mutually beneficial” over the past four years.
Kingdom has developed a national fishing strategy “Halieutis” and put in place a vision dedicated to the development of the sector, which takes into account the expectations of operators and calls for modifications within the context of engagement with partners.
The third element, which the government is incorporating into its assessment and thinking, is related to scientific facts with the intention of protecting and safeguarding the sustainability of this crucial natural resource for Morocco and Moroccans, he continued.
Bourita emphasized that Morocco will interact with the European side based on the current reflection, stressing that communication and collaboration with European partners are ongoing.
