Trade in troubled waters for the octopus

The report highlights that the EU relies heavily on imports of common octopus from Morocco, with significant quantities originating from the waters off Dakhla in Western Sahara. It argues that this trade poses legal, financial, and reputational risks for European companies and investors because the exploitation of these resources occurs without the consent of the Saharawi people, violating international law and the right to self-determination. The document notes that the General Court of the European Union annulled trade decisions covering Moroccan fishery products due to this lack of consent, though a final judgment from the European Court of Justice is pending.

• The European Union is unable to meet its demand for common octopus through domestic production, relying instead on imports primarily from Morocco and Mauritania. In 2022, Morocco was the largest supplier to the EU, exporting 40,044 tonnes valued at €470,388,046, with Spain, Italy, and Greece as the primary importing countries.
• A significant portion of octopus imported as Moroccan product is actually caught in the waters off Dakhla in Western Sahara by industrial trawlers and artisanal Moroccan fleets. This makes tracing the exact place of origin difficult, although European companies are often involved through joint ventures or local processing.

APA

ClientEarth (2023). Trade in troubled waters for the octopus. https://www.clientearth.org/media/13gfvuvd/trade-in-troubled-waters-for-the-octopus.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Trade in troubled waters for the octopus. 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/13gfvuvd/trade-in-troubled-waters-for-the-octopus.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Trade in troubled waters for the octopus |date=July 2023 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/13gfvuvd/trade-in-troubled-waters-for-the-octopus.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2023trade, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Trade in troubled waters for the octopus}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/13gfvuvd/trade-in-troubled-waters-for-the-octopus.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }