Russian operators are strengthening their presence on Morocco’s Atlantic coast following the European Court of Justice’s decision to annul the fishing agreement with Morocco. Earlier this week, Russia announced the distribution of new fishing quotas in Moroccan Atlantic waters to several Russian companies, allowing them to catch pelagic fish, primarily sardines.
According to the Russian specialized site Fishnews, Russia’s Federal Fisheries Agency, Rosrybolovstvo, has allocated quotas to several Russian companies, including Magadantralflot, Strelets, Taurus-1, Eridan-1, and Murmansk Trawl Fleet, for catching pelagic fish in Moroccan waters. These companies will have the opportunity to fish up to 10,000 tonnes of these species.
Ilya Shestakov, the head of Rosrybolovstvo, stated in Russian media that Russian vessels are expected to further increase their fishing quotas off the Moroccan coast for the year 2025. “We are currently analyzing the data we receive. We believe that fish stocks in Morocco are healthy, and I think that Russian operators fishing off the Moroccan coast will be able to increase their production volume for next year,” the official remarked.
This cooperation in the fishing sector between Morocco and Russia falls within the framework of an agreement signed in Rabat on September 14, 2020, and in Moscow on October 14 of the same year. This partnership marks the eighth agreement between the two countries in maritime fishing since the first agreement in 1992.
The agreement, which spans four years and was recently extended after its expiration last September, establishes a legal framework allowing a fleet of ten Russian vessels to fish for small pelagic species in Moroccan waters beyond the 15 nautical mile limit. Both countries are currently negotiating the extension of the agreement for the coming years, while Moscow closely monitors the developments in Morocco-EU relations in the maritime fishing sector, especially in light of the recent European Court decision.
Concurrently, Morocco has begun to adopt an international strategy aimed at diversifying its partners. This provides Russian companies with an opportunity to strengthen their presence on Moroccan coasts and exploit a new area following the cancellation of European fishing agreements.
