A group of Spanish and Saharawi protesters yesterday demonstrated against the Canary imports of sand from occupied Western Sahara in the harbour of Santa Cruz, Tenerife.
For decades, the Canary Islands have been importing sand from the occupied territory of Western Sahara. Although the imports went down during the financial crisis, the import has increased considerably during the last 10 years. Read the history of a theft which is hardly ever mentioned.
"I have no problem in stating, in retrospect, that it might have been a bad idea to take this assignment”, CEO of seismic services firm Spectrum ASA told media today. Now, Irish oil minor San Leon has to find another subcontractor to process the geological data they collect from the occupied territory in violation of international law.
On Wednesday, the Ambassadors of the EU Member States could not agree on the one-year prolongation of the divisive EU-Morocco fisheries agreement. Several Member States have requested more time to consider the proposal and its impact on Western Sahara.
Another demonstration in the capital of occupied Western Sahara took place yesterday. Moroccan police prevented people from joining the protesters.
Spanish fish food company Jealsa Rianxeira receives ever more critisicm for its engagement in occupied Western Sahara.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A politically divisive fishing pact between Morocco and the European Union has been costing Europe millions of euros a year and could deplete Morocco's fish stocks, according to a confidential report seen by Reuters.
UPDATE - The hunger strike was ended on Saturday 18 June 2011.
Since 12 April, six Saharawi citizens in Guelmim in Southern Morocco have been on hunger strike to condemn the EU’s fisheries in occupied Western Sahara and the involvement of US phosphate importer PCS and Irish oil company San Leon in the plunder of the territory.
Member of Western Sahara Resource Watch, Elena Pollán, was this week-end forced to leave Western Sahara after harassment from Moroccan police. Pollán was carrying out interviews with Saharawi about the illegal EU fisheries in the territory.
President of Western Sahara says the EU is prolonging the conflict through its illegal fisheries in his country's waters.
After two days of talks, the European Commission and Rabat have signed a one-year extension of the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement on Friday 25 February in Rabat. The original agreement, widely criticized for supporting Morocco’s claim over occupied Western Sahara, was set to expire on 27 February.
A Press Release by the Actionsgruppe Westsahara on their demonstration in front of the European Commission's representation in Berlin, Germany, on 18 February 2011.
A group of leading Swedish experts on international law, from 4 Swedish universities, today issued a statement saying any further EU fisheries in Western Sahara would be in violation of international law.
Next Friday, the European Commission will formally ask the EU-governments for a mandate to negotiate a 12-month extension of the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement (FPA) on current terms. Read: one more year of paying Morocco to fish in non-Moroccan waters.
Next Friday, the European Commission will formally ask the EU-governments for a mandate to negotiate a 12-month extension of the EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement (FPA) on current terms. Read: one more year of paying Morocco to fish in non-Moroccan waters.
The Spanish government has asked the European Commission for a one-year transitional extension of the soon to expire EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement. Spain is the main benefactor of the agreement.
The European Commission announced today that it considers extending the soon to expire EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement. The Commission has also received 'relevant information' from Rabat on the agreement's impact on the local population of Western Sahara. No mention was made to the wishes of the people of Western Sahara.