Russia is very close to signing another four-year fishing agreement with Morocco after a similar deal, signed in 2020, expired at the end of 2024, Russian news agency Interfax reported on Monday. «We submitted a draft order to the government for the signing of a new agreement with the Moroccan side for four years, with the option of extending it for another four years», said Ilya Shestakov, the head of Russia's Federal Fisheries Agency, speaking to reporters. He explained that all issues related to this upcoming fishing deal have already been discussed. «After the signing, we will be able to catch 80,000 tonnes of fish in Morocco's exclusive economic zone this year», Shestakov promised. Russia primarily catches sardines, sardinella, mackerel, and anchovies in Morocco's economic zone. It is worth noting that Russia launched what it named the Great African Expedition, in August 2024. The research expedition is studying fish stocks in the exclusive economic zones of 19 African countries. The first phase of the expedition surveyed the waters of Morocco, Mauritania, the Republic of Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. This expedition could help Russia increase fish catches in African waters.
