REUTER 16/3/1995

RABAT European Union (EU) fishing vessels have been barred from carrying out certain kinds of fishing in Morocco's Atlantic waters for two months to preserve stocks, an official Moroccan source said on Thursday.

The moratorium covers long line and fixed net fishing from March 15 to May 15 and was provided for in a 1992 fishing accord between Morocco and the EU, the source said.

The moratorium was expected by the EU, the source said, and did not signal the start of the kind of fishing war that broke out last week when Canada seized a Spanish vessel for allegedly overfishing in international waters.

The 1992 accord allows 716 EU boats to operate off Morocco and followed tough negotiations with Spain which objected to many restrictions proposed by Morocco.

Morocco's Atlantic coast, which stretches for 3,500 km (2,170 miles), has huge shoals of mackerel, sardines, anchovies, tuna, squid, shrimps and other species. It attracts fleets from all over the world including Japan and Russia which are not covered by the two month moratorium.

Morocco has often blamed Spain for a dramatic depletion of its fishing stocks, particularly shellfish, although it says Spain is not the only offender.

The source declined to comment on whether Morocco would seek tighter controls in negotiating a new agreement with the EU.

"Our European partners are sympathetic to our argument on economic grounds for a slowdown on fishing. We believe there are too many vessels and our waters are too crowded," he said.