Spanish fish food company Jealsa Rianxeira receives ever more critisicm for its engagement in occupied Western Sahara.
The Gallician firm Jealsa operates a processing factory for sardines in the city of El Aaiun in occupied Western Sahara.
Since 2008, WSRW has demanded the halt of the firm's operations in the territory, pointing to the fact that the production and exports take place in the disregard of the wishes and interests of the Saharawi people.
From June 2010 to May 2011, WSRW has carried out several meetings with Jealsa, at their head quarters in Madrid. At one point the firm suggested it could label their products as being from Western Sahara instead of from Morocco.
However, the firm has refused to abandon its operations, and has not engaged in dialogue with the Sahrawi. The labelling change has also not been implemented.
Now, the Sahrawi are starting to lose patience. A new video that WSRW has been forwarded shows Sahrawi youth tagging their factory in El Aaiun.
In April the liberation movement of Western Sahara, Frente Polisario, sent a letter to Jealsa "urging the immediate halt of all operations in Western Sahara", requesting the firm to "withdraw from the territory".
Parallel to the criticism of Jealsa, several Spanish groups have also demanded from their main customer, the Spanish grocery chain Mercadona, to halt its purchases from Jealsa. Mercadona has placed all responsibility on the supplier.
Today, Polisario filed a criminal complaint against French seafood producer Chancerelle for aiding and abetting Morocco in the transfer of its civil population in occupied Western Sahara, economic discrimination and false labeling.
Frozen fish from El Aaiún in occupied Western Sahara is exported on a weekly basis to Las Palmas on the Canary Islands, via a Royal Air Maroc commercial flight.
Several EU-flagged vessels have blatantly ignored and violated the EU Court judgment invalidating the EU-Morocco fish agreement in Western Sahara. Here they are.