Sealord Criticized by European Human Rights Groups

Transcript of the story on New Zealand fisheries
Broadcasted on Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand
May 8th 2008

[Reporter] New Zealand ’s biggest fishing company is being criticized by a
European human rights group for operating in disputed waters off Africa .
Sealord is said to be involved in deals to market fish caught from waters
off the Western Sahara, which has been occupied by Morocco for over 30
years. Nick Butcher reports:

[Reporter Nick Butcher] A ceasefire between Morocco and Western Sahara
rebels has been in place since 1991, but conflict remains over Morocco ’s
exploitation of Western Saharan resources. Sealord is accused of being
party to this because of its shareholding in a company called
Europacifíco, which processes fish caught in Western Saharan waters by a
Moroccan company. Javier García Lachica is a spokesperson for the human
rights group Western Sahara Resource Watch.

[Mr. Javier García Lachica ] Any company in the world – and this is the
case of Europacífico and Sealord – that is making business on this trade
of fishing products from Western Sahara is also going against
international law. They are giving signs of supporting the occupation of
Morocco .

[Reporter] Mr. Lachica says most Western countries oppose the occupation,
including the New Zealand government. This country supports the UN call
for a referendum of Western Saharan people on independence. Mr. Lachica
says the Sealord deal puts the New Zealand government in a difficult
position.

[Mr. García Lachica] The New Zealand government is on the one hand saying
that we have to support the UN efforts for the conflict, but on the other
hand they are not clearly saying to their companies that they have to stop
doing business in this area, so there is a clear controversy.

[Reporter] Sealord wouldn’t comment on the fishing agreement but confirmed
its shareholding in Europacifico. New Zealand has already angered Western
Saharan independence group by also importing phosphates from Western
Sahara . The independence group Front Polisario says it is disappointed a
New Zealand company is again involved in trading Western Saharan resources
on behalf of Morocco . Its spokesperson is Kamel Fadel.

[Mr. Kamal Fadel ] This is really wrong. It is illegal, unethical and
immoral for a New Zealand company to be involved in the theft of a
resource that belongs to the people of Western Sahara .

[Report] The Minister of Trade, Phil Goff, says Morocco is aware of this
country’s support for decolonization in Western Sahara , but he says there
is UN agreement to the exploitation of Western Saharan resources as long
as its people benefit.

[Minister of Trade, Mr. Phil Goff] The UN Under-Secretary for Legal
Affairs, a man by the name of Hans Corell , issued a statement which
basically said it was compatible to extract resources from a
non-self-governing territory provided that it was for the benefit of the
peoples of those territories.

[Reporter] But Javier García Lachica of the Western Sahara Resource Watch
says Morocco is the beneficiary, not the people of Western Sahara .

[Mr. García Lachica] This money is going directly to the Moroccan
government, and this money is supporting the occupation.

[Reporter] Even Mr. Goff concedes it is hard to know for sure where the
money goes.

[Mr. Goff] It’s very hard for New Zealand to know precisely what the value
of the extraction of resources is and what the value is of the Moroccan
investment in the Western Sahara for the benefit of its people. But we
take our direction from the United Nations.

[Reporter] Phil Goff says he raised the issue of exploitation of Western
Sahara’s fish and phosphate during a trade mission to Morocco in January.
Meanwhile, the UN is urging Morocco and Western Saharan independence group
Front Polisario to enter fresh negotiations over the disputed territory.
How this will affect the fishing deal Sealord has with its Moroccan
partners remains to be seen. For Morning Report, Nick Butcher.
\ends

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Forwarded by:

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Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara


*** Referendum now! ***
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sahara-update
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