Breadcrumbs

 

 APPS - UE/Morocco

 

  Contacts

Direção-Geral de Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos (DGRM)
Avenida Brasília
1449-030 Lisboa Portugal
Phone: +351 213 035 700
Fax: +351 213 035 702

European Union Delegation in the Kingdom of Morocco
Riad Business Center
Aile Sud, Boulevard Er-Riad Quartier Hay Riad
RABAT MAROC
Phone: +212 (0) 537 57 98 00
Fax: +212 (0) 537 57 98 10


 Description

Agreement suspended, awaiting rectification

The first fisheries agreement with Morocco dates back to 1995. The parties did not reach an agreement on the renewal of the Protocol in 1999, and fishing relations were interrupted until entry into application of the current Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA). The actual FPA entered into force on 28 February 2007, for a period of four years, automatically renewed for a 4 year period (tacit renewal). The inforce Protocol was signed on November 18, 2013, and entered into application on July 15, 2014, after conclusion of internal ratification procedures by Morocco.

 

 Eligibility conditions

  • Hold a valid fishing license in accordance with Article 6 of the Control Regulation (Regulation 1224/2009)
  • Implementation of the relevant IMO vessel identification system, if required under Union law
  • The fishing vessel is not on a list of IUU vessels adopted by an RFMO and / or the Union under the IUU Regulation
  • The flag Member State has fishing opportunities under the fisheries agreement in question
  • Have a satellite monitoring system (VMS) installed and operational
  • Have a system for the electronic filling and transmission of fishing logbook data installed and operational
  • Have valid certificates of seaworthiness certificate and compliance.

 

 Different Categories of the Protocol

  • Cat. 1 - Pelagic fishing North: trawling nets
  • Cat. 2 - Northern artisanal fishing: bottom longliners
  • Cat. 3 - Southern artisanal fishing: lines and reeds
  • Cat. 4 - Demersal species: bottom longline and bottom trawls
  • Cat. 5 - Artisanal tuna fishing: pole and line
  • Cat. 6 - Industrial pelagic fishing: pelagic or semi-pelagic trawls.

 

 Fishing Modalities for Portugal

  • Cat. 2 - Bottom longliners <40 GT - 7 licenses
  • Bottom longliners> 40 GT <150 GT - 3 licenses
  • Cat. 4 - Demersal fishing - Bottom longline - 4 licenses
  • Cat. 6 - Industrial fishing (trawling) - 1 555 t / year.


 Fishing gear

  • Bottom longline
  • Pelagic trawling.
     

 License Request

Each license application shall be accompanied by the following documents:

  • A copy of the tonnage certificate duly authenticated by the flag Member State establishing the tonnage of the vessel
  • Recent and authenticated colour photograph which represents the ship in lateral view in its current state. The minimum dimensions of the photograph are 15 cm × 10 cm
  • Proof of payment of the rights of the fishing licenses, the fees and the expenses of the observers
  • Any other document required under the specific provisions of the Protocol.
     

 Cost of License

  • Cat. 2. Northern artisanal fishing: € 67 / GT / quarter
  • Cat. 4. Demersal fishing: EUR 60 / GT / quarter
  • Cat.6. Industrial pelagic fishing:

         Industrial pelagic freezer trawlers

  • EUR 100 / tonne which may be paid in advance on a monthly basis.

         Industrial pelagic trawlers (fresh fish)

  • EUR 35 / tonne which may be paid in advance on a monthly basis.

If authorized, catches can be above these limits. In these cases the rate is tripled.


 Forms

    License Request
    Download (58 KB)

    Payment Order
     Download (657 KB)
 

 Observers

Vessels authorized to operate under this SFPA shall board observers appointed by Moroccan authorities under the conditions set out below:

  • Authorized vessels above 100 GT board an observer at the limit of 25% per quarter;
  • Industrial pelagic vessels shall board permanently a scientific observer throughout the whole period of activity in Moroccan waters;
  • Fishing vessels with GT inferior or equal 100 shall board an observer during a maximum of 10 fishing trips per year and per fishing category.

 

 Local Seamen

EU vessels shall board Moroccan seamen during  fishing activities Moroccan waters, in accordance with the provisions laid down in Appendix 2 of the Annex to the current Protocol, namely:

Cat. 2. Northern artisanal fishing

  • <100 GT: Voluntary
  • ≥ 100 GT: 1 Moroccan seamen.

Cat. 4. demersal fishing

  • Longliners - 4 Moroccan seamen.

Cat. 6. Industrial pelagic fishing (trawling)

  • tonnage <150 GT: 2 Moroccan seamen
  • 150 GT ≤ ship tonnage <1 500 GT: 4 Moroccan seafarer
  • 1 500 GT ≤ ship tonnage <5 000 GT: 8 Moroccan seafarer
  • 5 000 GT ≤ ship tonnage <7 765 GT: 16 Moroccan seafarer.

The salaries of the Moroccan seamen shall be borne by the ship owners.


 By-catches

  • Cat. 2. Northern artisanal fishing - 0% swordfish and surface sharks
  • Cat. 4. Demersal fishing: 0% cephalopods and crustaceans and 5% deep-sea sharks
  • Cat. 6. Industrial pelagic fishing (trawling): maximum 2% of other species. The list of species allowed as by-catche is laid down in the Moroccan regulations on small-pelagic fisheries in the South Atlantic.
     

 Authorized areas

The fishing zones for each type of fishery in the Atlantic zone of Morocco are defined in the technical sheets (appendix 2 to the Annex to the Protocol). The Mediterranean area of Morocco situated east of 35 ° 47'18 "N - 5 ° 55'33" W (Espartel cable), is excluded from the Protocol.

  • Cat. 2. Northern artisanal fishing: To the north 34º18'00'N - (extension up to 33º25'00''N, according to the conditions set out in sheet 2): beyond 6 nautical miles
  • Cat. 4. Demersal fishing: South of 29 ° N - Longliners: beyond 12 nautical miles
  • Cat. 6. Industrial pelagic fishing (trawling): South of 29 ° N, beyond 15 nautical miles.
     

 Closed Seasons

Cat. 2. Northern artisanal fishing: from 15 March to 15 May.

 

 Reporting Obligations

Ship-owners shall transmit a copy of the fishing logbook to their competent authorities no later than 15 days after the catches have been landed and shall also send to:


 For daily catch declarations in category 6

 

 For notification of compulsory landings

 

 Pre-notifications of entries and exits Morocco waters

EU vessels shall notify at least six hours in advance of their intention to enter or leave the Moroccan fishing zone, by completing the following information:

  • date and time of message transmission
  • position of the ship in accordance with Chapter V, point 5
  • the weight, in kilograms, and the catches, by species, kept on board, identified by the alpha-3 code
  • message of 'catch on entry' (COE) and 'catch on exit' (COX).

Contact of the entities:

 

 Sea Inspection

Masters of Union vessels engaged in fishing activities in Moroccan waters shall authorize and facilitate the boarding and fulfilment of the duties of any Moroccan official responsible for inspection and control of fishing activities.

 

 Port Inspection

Once a year and as a result of changes in tonnage or change of fishing category involving the use of different types of fishing gear, Union vessels must be submitted to a port inspection, which shall be carried out within 48 hours upon vessel's arrival to port.

 

 Legislation

    Protocol
     Download (921 KB)

    Allocation of Fishing Possibilities to MS
     Download (374 KB)


 Additional information 

For additional information see here.
 

Note

The constant information does not exempt from consulting the legislation.