Marruecos sancionará a armadores nacionales que pesquen ilegalmente en España

The Moroccan government warned Thursday that it will take all "legal measures" against any Moroccan shipowner who fishes illegally in Spanish waters and who resorts to aggressive fishing methods, after several Spanish vessels in the Mediterranean have denounced this. 

Asked by journalists at the press conference following the Council of Government, the government's spokesman, Mustafa Baitas, acknowledged the possibility of "problems related" to Moroccan shipowners in Mediterranean waters between Spain and Morocco. 

"I would like to confirm that Morocco will ensure respect for the provisions and agreements in force, and apply all legal provisions against any Moroccan shipowner who commits an infringement, whether related to fishing areas or to the use of certain illegal methods," he said. 

The Moroccan government's reaction comes after the Organisation of Fishing Producers Fishermen of Carboneras S.C.A. (Carbopesca) denounced having detected more than 10 Moroccan vessels fishing illegally in the last 24 hours with "driftnets" near Motril. 

"Faced with the free impunity with which Moroccan vessels are left to carry out fishing activities in Spanish waters, we once again call for action against this illegality," the association says in a statement published on its website. 

Carbopesca points out that it has repeatedly denounced these practices by Moroccan shipowners, who, it adds, carry out their activity at dusk, which makes it "more invisible".