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Sign the petition: Stop the EU fisheries in Western Sahara!fishelsewhere_petition_eng_logo_520-200.jpg
20.07 - 2010 14:09
The EU is paying Morocco to fish in occupied Western Sahara. Protest by signing this petition.
Read more
EU Commission and MEPs deem future EU-Moroccan FPA uncertain14.07 - 2010
European Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, has met with a group of euro-parliamentarians regarding the difficulties in renewing the current fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco. This agreement is set to expire in March 2011 and its ending may lead to the withdrawal of the European fleet from Moroccan waters. EFE, 13 July 2010.Read more
"Europe's assault on Western Sahara"11.07 - 2010
The theft of fish from Western Saharan waters should be damned by the European commission, not encouraged. The Guardian, by David Cronin, 10 July 2010.Read more



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Nordic parliamentarians call for halt of unethical EU fisheries07.07 - 2010
32 parliamentarians from Finland, Sweden and Denmark today requested the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of their countries to prevent renewed EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara. Press release, WSRW, 7 July 2010.Read more
"Problems renewing the fisheries agreement with Morocco"01.07 - 2010
Chair of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee, Carmen Fraga,  says that there will be problems renewing the agreement with Morocco. EFE, 30 June 2010.Read more


EU puts self-interest before peace in Western Saharapuerto_aaiun_510.jpg
01.07 - 2010
The European Commission misuses a UN document to legitimise its fisheries in occupied Western Sahara.
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WSRW: "Commission misrepresents international law"01.07 - 2010
Letter sent from Western Sahara Resource Watch, 1 July 2010. Read more
European Commission defends its fisheries01.07 - 2010
The European Commission stated in a letter to WSRW on 23 June 2010 that their fisheries in Western Sahara is legal. In doing so, the Commission has severely misrepresented a UN legal opinion from 2002. WSRW objects to the EU misuse of the UN document.Read more



Swedish Social Democrats ask Greek help to stop EU fisheries23.06 - 2010
The Secretary General of the Stockholm based Olof Palme Center and the international secretary of the Swedish Labour Party, have this week written a letter to three Greek colleagues asking for help to exclude occupied Western Sahara from the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement. The three Greeks are the EU fisheries commissioner, the Greek prime minister and president of the Socialist International, as well as the international secretary of the country's socialist party.Read more
Fishing in Western Sahara Hot EU Question05.06 - 2010
Yearly Morocco receives the equivalent of 350 million Swedish kroner for its fisheries agreement with the EU. The agreement also applies to occupied Western Sahara’s waters, where vessels registered in the EU trawl.  Many people, including human rights expert Hans Corell, criticise the agreement and demand tougher conditions when it is to be renegotiated.Read more


Morocco rejects visit from European Parliamentparliament_510.jpg
04.06 - 2010
Last year, European Parliament’s Legal Services stated that EU fisheries in Western Sahara would be illegal if the indigenous Saharawi were not consulted. This week, Morocco refused the Parliament to travel to occupied Western Sahara to find out if they are.
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You are paying for this robbery31.05 - 2010
EU tax payers pay money to Moroccan government, so that Spanish fishermen can steal the fish belonging to these refugees. See video.

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Endangered biodiversity, endangered people20.05 - 2010
On European Maritime Day, Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) demands that the depletion of European fish stocks not be used to justify illegal fisheries practices elsewhere.Read more



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Western Sahara not part of EFTA-Morocco free trade agreement12.05 - 2010
The Moroccan-EFTA free trade agreement does not cover Western Sahara, according to Norwegian and Swiss authorities. This will have multi-million euro consequences for a firm that systematically mislabeled Western Sahara imports as Moroccan, and illustrates how the European Commission is on collision course with rest of the international community. Read more
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Norway: No way for Western Sahara free trade12.05 - 2010
"Since Morocco does not exercise internationally recognised sovereignty over Western Sahara, Western Sahara is not seen as a part of Morocco’s territory in relation to this agreement. The Free Trade Agreement is thus not applicable to goods from Western Sahara", stated Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jonas Gahr Store, 11 May 2010. Read more


"Does European Commission know the consequences of the agreement?"05.04 - 2010
MEP Isabella Löwin, who asked the Commission about the EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara, is stunned that the Commission are so vague about the effects of the agreement.
Read more
GUE/NGL demands cancellation of illegal EU-Morocco fisheries agreement14.03 - 2010
European Parliament coalition asks from the Commission to stop EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara. Read more
"There can be no doubt about its illegality"14.03 - 2010
The NGO France Liberté, Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, denounced the EU fisheries agreement before the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Council. Read more



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Demonstration against EU-Moroccan relations09.03 - 2010
As the EU and Morocco met in Spain last week, pro Saharawi sympathisers called for the end of the Moroccan occupation. Read more
Polisario requests EU to stop fisheries07.03 - 2010
In advance of next week’s first ever EU-Morocco summit, Polisario urges the EU Commission to halt illegal fisheries offshore occupied Western Sahara. Read more



News archive:
25.02 - 2010Lawyers association asks the EU to consult Sahrawis
24.02 - 2010Press release on EU-Moroccan fisheries from Olof Palme Center
24.02 - 2010Spanish Congress rejects cancellation of agreement
22.02 - 2010European Parliament's lawyers declare EU fishing illegal
28.01 - 2010Here is the secret legal opinion from the EU Parliament
23.02 - 2010EU fisheries up for debate in Spanish Congress
17.02 - 2010EU-Morocco fish talkers ignored Sahrawi problem
03.02 - 2010WSRW demands the EP’s legal opinion to be made public
28.01 - 2010Discussion Legal Opinion WS fisheries postponed at very last minute
27.01 - 2010Public debate on new opinion on WS fisheries
19.01 - 2010Seen this fish before?
10.01 - 201025 Sahrawi NGOs request change of EU fisheries policy
05.01 - 2010Sahrawis protest EU plunder
08.12 - 2009Spanish ERCs demand halt of fisheries agreement
18.11 - 2009Sister of imprisoned HR laureate spoke out against EU fisheries
16.11 - 2009"EU must stop allowing exploitation of Western Sahara"
14.11 - 2009Seminar on unethical fisheries at European Parliament
03.11 - 2009Haidar: "EU fisheries in Western Sahara must be stopped"
06.11 - 2009International campaign to stop illegal EU fisheries  
14.10 - 2009EU ignores the Sahrawis’ wishes – again






EN  EN ES FR

The EU is paying Morocco to fish in occupied Western Sahara. The EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement is both politically controversial and in violation of international law. The international Fish Elsewhere! campaign demands the EU to cancel its highly unethical operations, and go fishing somewhere else. No fishing in Western Sahara should take place until the conflict is solved.
"EU fisheries in Western Sahara must be stopped"
06.11 - 2009




Western Sahara human rights activist Aminatou Haidar hopes for increased attention to the EU plundering of occupied Western Sahara.

READ ALSO

28.07 - 2010
European Voice: Human-rights concerns put fishing deal in danger
25.05 - 2010
IPS: 'EU Subsidises Companies Guilty of Illegal Fishing'
11.04 - 2010
Giant purchases from Morocco/Western Sahara stopped
26.02 - 2010
Portuguese MEPs: Stop EU fisheries
24.02 - 2010
Press release from Green Party, Sweden

The Fish Elsewhere! petition to the European Commission is available in:
  • English
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Arabic
  • Swedish
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Hungarian
  • Italian
  • Dutch
  • Finnish
  • Polish
  • Estonian
  • Romanian
  • Slovenian


  • Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions to the petition? Do not hesitate to send us a mail on contact@wsrw.org.





    Human rights activist Malak Amidane denounces EU fisheries