A video posted on Youtube this week shows a private Swedish company fishing in occupied Western Sahara.
"I hope that the business can continue, selling to other countries", stated the captain on one of the two Swedish vessels shown in the video. The fisheries filmed takes place offshore Dakhla, in occupied Western Sahara.
Morocco hands out licences to the 2 Swedish vessels even though Morocco has no sovereignty over the territory. This part of Western Sahara has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1979.
The fish caught by the Swedish vessel is according to the footage sold to Brazil, Ghana, the Ukraine, Argentina and Egypt.
According to the information published by the Youtube user with the video, the story was shot by the Moroccan TV channels 'Second Channel' and 'Medi 1' last year. According to the same Youtube user, the person being interviewed is the captain on the vessel 'Nordic'.
A group of Swedish fishermen has been operating in Dakhla for a number of years. Two of them are 24 October 2012 facing a trial in Swedish court for illegally fishing in the territory.
Some overlapping footage of the same interview is shown on this related video:
The export of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara has never been lower than in 2019. This is revealed in the new WSRW report P for Plunder, published today.
Sweden is known for paying lip-service to Saharawi self-determination, but is it putting its money where its mouth is? Check out our newly published report on Sweden's involvement in the taking of occupied Western Sahara's natural resources.