Saharawi fishermen boarded foreign trawler in protest 03.05 - 2012 13:26 A group of unemployed Saharawi fishermen is said to have chained themselves to a foreign owned trawler in the harbour of Dakhla, protesting the plunder of their country.
Morocco announces interest in new fisheries agreement25.04 - 2012 Last Friday, Morocco announced its willingness to engage in a new fisheries agreement with the European Union. "The talks must respect international law, and should be immediately halted until the Saharawi have been consulted", stated WSRW.Read more
Here is the evaluation report of the Morocco fish deal05.03 - 2012 In June 2011, WSRW - together with other organisations - issued a first request to the European Commission, soliciting the independent evaluation report of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement become part of the public domain. The Commission has now agreed to release the report. Read it here.Read more
Basque Parliament: exclude Western Sahara from new Morocco fish deal14.02 - 2012 The Parliament of Basque country is unanimous: if the European Union is to negotiate a new fisheries agreement with Morocco, it should exclude the territorial waters of Western Sahara from the deal’s geographical scope, in order to respect the rights of the Saharawi people. Read more
EU Council still split over reference to Western Sahara26.01 - 2012 EU Member States are still divided as to whether an explicit reference to Western Sahara should be included in the European Commission’s sought mandate to negotiate a new fish deal with Morocco. The Commission requested the Council’s approval three weeks ago.Read more
European Commission seeks new fish deal with Morocco 17.01 - 2012 On 5 January, the European Commission issued a request to the EU Member States, seeking their support to conduct negotiations with Morocco in order to achieve a new, long-term fisheries protocol. The fishing zones covered by the envisioned accord also include Western Saharan waters.
Fish Commissioner insists on international law15.12 - 2011 EU Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, previously suggested EU fisheries agreement with Morocco should not apply to Western Sahara. Now, she repeats the message.Read more
European Parliament rejects EU fisheries14.12 - 2011 The EU fisheries in Western Sahara have today been voted down in the European Parliament. Reports made for the European Commission have shown that the EU fisheries in Western Sahara are a complete waste of EU taxpayers’ money, and contribute to destruction of marine life offshore Western Sahara. EU fleet must now return from Western Sahara. Read more
Human rights defender slams EU putting trade over human rights08.12 - 2011 "Be part of the solution, not part of the problem", Saharawi human rights activist Ali Salem Tamek urged the European Parliament, criticizing the illegal EU plunder of the fisheries resources offshore occupied Western Sahara.Read more
'Disgraceful agreement', Swedish legal expert labels EU fisheries 08.12 - 2011 Further EU fisheries in occupied Western Sahara "will make the EU and its member states further liable for a violation of international law", stated former principal legal advisor of the Swedish government, in a seminar in the European Parliament on 7 December 2011.
Parliament committee approves Morocco fisheries deal 24.11 - 2011 European Voice - The European Parliament's fisheries committee has endorsed a controversial €36 million deal with Morocco that gives Spanish fishermen access to the country's waters and to waters off Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. Read more
Sharks in danger of extinction in Western Sahara 03.11 - 2011 The shark population in occupied Western Saharan waters is under threat by Moroccan and European fishing. That is one of the many disturbing conclusions of the independent post-evaluation report on the EU's fish deal with Morocco.
Budget rapporteur calls for rejection of fish pact19.10 - 2011 The rapporteur of the European Parliament’s Budget Committee recommends Parliament to reject the one-year extension of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement. “Tax payers’ money needs to be spent wisely and legally”, he said. Read more
Development rapporteur urges Parliament to thumb down fish deal19.10 - 2011 The rapporteur of the European Parliament's development committee agrees with the rapporteur of the fisheries committee: Parliament should not accept the one-year extension of the fish deal with Morocco. "The right way to go is not in neglecting international law, principles of environmental sustainability or sound economics", she said.Read more
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.
