Spanish Fishing Fleet Retreats from Moroccan Waters as Profits Plummet

According to the fisheries agreement between the European Union and Morocco, ratified on January 14, 2019 for a period of four years, 92 Spanish boats from the ports of Barbate, Conil, Algeciras and Tarifa have the license to fish in Moroccan waters. But these boats are abandoning Morocco in favor of Spanish waters, in order, they say, to save money.

To read: Spain Utilizes Only 25% of Fishing Quota in Morocco-EU Agreement

The shipowner from Barbate, Tomás Pacheco, admits that fishing in Morocco is not profitable at the moment, pointing out that of the 22 vessels with purse seine fishing licenses allocated to Cadiz, only seven take the risk of fishing in Morocco. For the 128 European boats, including 92 Spanish ones, authorized to fish in Moroccan and Saharan waters, the European Union has committed to paying Morocco 52 million euros per year, compared to 40 million euros per year for 126 vessels.

To read: Spanish Civil Guard Expels Moroccan Fishing Vessel from Ceuta Waters

But in reality, Spain has used less than half of the licenses allocated in recent years. This is due, among other things, to the cancellation in 2021 of the EU-Morocco agreement by the Court of Justice of the EU and the rise in the price of diesel. In the first and second quarters of 2021, 27 of the 92 Spanish boats under license fished in Moroccan waters, compared to 24 and 17 respectively for the third and fourth quarters. In the Sahara, 25 of the 92 authorized Spanish vessels were able to carry out their fishing activities.