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The first session of the Russian-Moroccan joint fisheries commission ended in the capital of the kingdom, marking the entry into effective application of the intergovernmental agreement signed on October 17, 2025. The delegations carried out a detailed examination of the results recorded and decided on operational guidelines for the next campaigns.
Cooperation is being deployed on the basis of the new legal instrument, which established, according to the terms retained by the parties, “a solid legal basis for the implementation of promising areas of cooperation in the fisheries sector”. This framework now governs the activity of Russian vessels authorized to operate in the Atlantic area placed under Moroccan jurisdiction.
Deployment of fleets and targeting pelagic species
The head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries, Ilya Shestakov, said that “Russia increases its catches in Morocco’s Atlantic fishing zone”specifying that “our vessels will continue their activity this year and, at this stage, the fishermen are preparing to begin the campaign”.
He added that “Russian companies are primarily showing an interest in catching pelagic species, particularly mackerel and horse mackerel”while indicating that “projects are also envisaged in the field of training of managers in the fisheries complex and scientific research”.
These declarations confirm the continuation of a sustained presence in Moroccan Atlantic waters, with a concentration on small pelagics, a central segment of industrial catches.
Multi-year scientific program and scholarships
Ilya Shestakov also noted “the importance of the results of the Great African Expedition for the development of fishing”. The work carried out in 2024 and 2025 made it possible, according to his remarks, “to obtain an objective image of the state of the marine ecosystem of the Kingdom of Morocco and to develop scientifically based recommendations”.
The parties agreed on the principle of annual expeditions intended to assess the renewal of stocks of small pelagic fish. Russia has also granted “50 scholarships for Moroccan citizens for the 2025-2026 academic year and 50 additional scholarships for 2026-2027”expressing the desire to provide “an identical number of scholarships for 2027-2028” to support training in Russian fishing establishments.
