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Morocco sets previous fish catch quota of 100,000 tonnes for Russia in its economic zone

The protocol was signed in a ceremonial atmosphere on Tuesday night on board the legendary Russian sail ship Krusenstern

Russian sail ship Krusenstern EPA/PIOTR WITTMAN

Russian sail ship Krusenstern

© EPA/PIOTR WITTMAN

AGADIR, April 09. /ITAR-TASS/. The authorities of Morocco assign the previously set fish catch quota of 100,000 tonnes to Russia this year in its economic zone, says a protocol on the results of the second session of the Russia-Morocco mixed commission for fisheries. The protocol was signed in a ceremonial atmosphere on Tuesday night on board the legendary Russian sail ship Krusenstern, which has been staying for several days at the port of this Moroccan city.

Signatures to the protocol were put by Ilya Shestakov, Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo), and Zakiya Driouch, Secretary-General of the sea fisheries department of the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Sea Fisheries.

Shestakov told ITAR-TASS in an interview: "This protocol has been drawn up in implementation of the work in the second year of the operation of the agreement on cooperation in the field of sea fisheries between Russia and Morocco. The Agreement was signed in February 2013. The Protocol determines the specific aspects, such as, for example, the number of Moroccan students who will attend institutes that are under the jurisdiction of Rosrybolovstvo, as well as the size of fish catch quotas assigned by Moroccan authorities to Russia".

He said, "The sides have agreed that this year Russia will catch fish in line with the previously-set quota of 100,000 tonnes. However, the Protocol points out that before October this year the sides will also hold a special session of the Mixed Commission to review the work of scientific organizations and mull over reconsidering the size of fish catch quotas upwardly".

"This is an important aspect. I think that we have got prospects in this respect, since the stocks of marine biological resources in Morocco's zone are really good and make it possible to speak of the possibility of an increase in fish catch by Russian companies," Shestakov added.

Besides, Shestakov went on to say: "We have agreed that 20 Moroccan students will attend institutes that are under the jurisdiction of Rosrybolovstvo in 2014-2015."

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