Western Sahara: EU Fisheries Agreement back on the Table

Through the previous issues of Land Times, HLRN has explored issues related to the occupation of Western Sahara, including the long-standing refugee crisis in Algeria and the international legal issues surrounding the separation wall and the landmines that surround it. Recently, a new issue is threatening Western Saharan sovereignty and natural resources, as Morocco has begun to re-enter negations with the European Union that would allow European fisheries to utilize Western Saharan waters.

The EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement, signed on 28 July 2005, entered into force on 28 February 2007. The agreement expired on 27 February 2011, but continued under a special protocol until the European Parliament voted against its renewal on 14 December 2011, citing a failure to meet the legal requirement of such an agreement to benefit the local Sahrawi people. This agreement allowed for Morocco to exploit the natural resources of Western Sahara for its own economic benefit, and the renewal of such an agreement would have the same effect, in addition to further enabling Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara and breaching extraterritorial obligations of the states involved. 

For information on this agreement and other exploits in Western Sahara, visit the website of Western Sahara Resource Watch.