On 13 January 2016, the vessel was heading in a speed of 11 knots north direction the EU from Nouadhibou. On the evening of 13 January, it was confirmed that the first stop is Las Palmas. It is estimated to arrive Las Palmas at 14:00 this afternoon, 14 January. In general, near all fish oil transports of this kind have ended up in Fécamp, Normandy, France. It is not known what the purpose of the stop in Las Palmas will be - probably to bunker fuel.
WSRW earlier wrote that Key Bay had picked up a cargo of fish oil in El Aaiun harbour in Western Sahara. The photo to the right shows the vessel before picking up the cargo.
When it entered El Aaiun on 6 January its draught was 5,2 meters, while after leaving El Aaiun on 8 January it was 5,4 meters. The change means it has most probably loaded in El Aaiun.
On the 8 January, the vessel headed towards Nouadhibou, Mauritania. After 5 days in the North-Mauritanian port, the vessel is now on its way into EU waters.
The vessel undertakes such controversial transport approximately twice a year. This is the first time after the landmark judgement of the Court of Justice of the EU that WSRW observes a transport from the occupied territory.
A large part of the territory of Western Sahara has been under illegal occupation by Morocco since the 1970s.
It is normal for the vessel to make those 3 stops: Tan Tan, El Aaiun, Nouadhibou, before heading to France.
Morocco allocates vast tracts of occupied Western Sahara
Moroccan budget documents released in late October reveal that the kingdom allocated tens of thousands of hectares of land in occupied Western Sahara to investment projects.
Guterres reminds Morocco: Self-determination still stands
In one of his final statements as UN Secretary-General, António Guterres has made an unequivocal point: the end of MINURSO does not extinguish the inalienable right of the Saharawi people to self-determination. It is a reminder that Morocco cannot declare the Western Sahara question closed simply because the UN mission is leaving.
When countries defend self-determination while voting against it
Our analysis of yesterday's UN Security Council vote on Western Sahara reveals a striking gap between what some governments said about the Saharawi people's right to self-determination and the resolution they voted to support.
US and Russia veto competing Western Sahara resolutions, leaving MINURSO’s future uncertain
In an extraordinary confrontation, both permanent members blocked each other’s proposals on Western Sahara. With no resolution adopted, the UN mission faces an imminent expiry of its mandate.