A major blow to the Spanish fishing sector

Fishing sector regrets consequences of CJEU ruling annulling EU-Morocco fishing agreement

The Court of Justice of the European Union annuls the fishing agreement with Morocco, ignoring the appeal of the Commission and the Council against the 2021 ruling of the CJEU

• This decision affects fleets with few alternatives, such as the Spanish purse seine or bottom longline fleet, based in the Andalusian ports of Barbate, Conil or Tarifa

Madrid - The Spanish fishing sector, represented by the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), regrets the social and environmental consequences of the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that annuls the fishing agreement between the EU and Morocco.

Cepesca considers that this ruling is a new blow for the Spanish fishing sector, both in Andalusia, the Canary Islands and Galicia, and especially for fishermen in the province of Cadiz, who have traditionally had a complement to their activity in the possibility of going to Morocco to catch species such as anchovies and sardines, in the purse seine mode; or sea bream, in the form of bottom longline. For their part, Galician boats fished in these waters for hake (trawlers) and pomfret (bottom longliners).

According to Javier Garat, general secretary of Cepesca and president of Europêche, “specifically, the purse seine fleet, which is already under significant pressure from the European Commission – which has proposed a 54% reduction in anchovy, and which also has very large limitations for sardines – will possibly be forced to tie up many boats with the socioeconomic consequences that this will have on a town like Barbate.”

Consequences for Spain

The fishing agreement between the EU and Morocco, which expired on July 17, 2023, the date on which European vessels stopped fishing in these waters, included the possibility of obtaining licenses for a total of 128 European vessels, of which 92 were Spanish: 47 from Andalusia, 38 from the Canary Islands and 7 from Galicia, although, in the latest protocol, only around twenty have been used by companies and fishermen from the Andalusian, Galician, Basque and Canary fleets. After the agreement expired, some of the affected vessels limited themselves to fishing in the Gulf of Cadiz (Andalusian) and the Galician ones in Mauritania.

According to Garat, “now that the agreement has been annulled, several scenarios must be considered, including fishing operations under direct authorizations.” “In any case,” Garat adds, “we are ready to work urgently with all the parties involved, so that business activity and fishing cooperation between Morocco and the EU can continue in the future.”

Cepesca stresses that fishing activity within the framework of the agreements between the EU and Morocco has greatly influenced the sustainable and science-based use of species such as anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel, hake, cephalopods and tuna. These fisheries have been essential to provide millions of meals a day to Spain, the rest of the EU, Africa and other places with greater demand for healthy and affordable food.

Related News:

•  EU court to rule on Morocco fisheries agreement appeal October 4

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