Marine protected areas and sustainable aquaculture represent a vital sector for the regional economy of Morocco, particularly in the southern provinces, as reflected in the reforms and development strategies included in the roadmap that the country has drawn up for the medium and long term. In this sense, the Government wants to review the laws and stimulate investment to reinforce the protection of its marine areas and the prosperity of its aquaculture. 

Thus, in a recent decision published in the Moroccan Official Gazette on 20 February, Mohammed Sadiki, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, has decided to standardise five classified marine protected areas and classify them as natural parks, in application of article 14 of Law 22/07 relating to protected areas in Morocco. 

At the same time, the North African country has consolidated the role of aquaculture as a driving force for sustainable economic development through the creation of companies active in this sector, thus establishing an important economic circuit in southern Morocco. 

Strengthening the network of marine protected areas

By means of the publication of these five decrees in the Official Bulletin on 20th February, the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fishing has formalised the creation of five marine natural parks. This initiative arose from a public survey carried out between October 2023 and January 2024, which allowed for the gathering of the opinions and observations of citizens in this area. 

From the south to the north of the Moroccan coastline, the marine protected areas that are to become natural parks will be: 

• Bojador, with an area of 1000 km2 and located to the north of the city. 
• Massa, with an area of 250 km2, located between Aglou and Legzira. 
• Agadir, with a surface area of 300 km2, located between Aglou and Agadir. 
• Mogador, with a surface area of 275 km2, located between Souira Kedima and Moulay Bouzerktoun. 
• Alborán, with a surface area of 300 km2 between Oued Amtar and Amsa. 

The creation of these natural parks is part of a wider strategy that aims to increase the area of protected marine spaces, enabling Morocco to fulfil its international commitments on biodiversity. 

In this line, the maritime fishing department will be in charge of carrying out the necessary infrastructures for the protection of these natural parks; ensuring the implementation and monitoring of management programmes; supervising the surveillance and control of the protected area; and preventing, controlling and prohibiting human activities that may harm the balance of the natural environment. 

Management plan for natural parks

The transformation of these marine protected areas into natural parks has several essential objectives: the preservation of natural resources; the restoration of damaged marine ecosystems; the development of sustainable artisanal fishing; and guaranteeing management based on the reasonable use of natural ecosystems. 

Once the five natural parks have been created, the next stage will be to draw up a development and management plan for each of them. With a maximum duration of ten years, this plan seeks to guarantee an inclusive approach adapted to the specificities of each protected area. 

The protection of marine resources is reinforced by a new generation of planning documents such as regional coastal schemes. Three of the regions in southern Morocco have been pioneers in this field at the national level: Guelmim-Oued Nun, whose document was adopted in January 2025 at the regional level; Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, currently being finalised; and Laayoune-Saguía el-Hamra, since February 2025. 

According to Law 8/12, this planning document has a maximum duration of 20 years and aims to organise, protect and enhance the value of the coastline from a sustainable point of view, taking into account environmental and climatic challenges. 

The document emphasises the importance of the regional scheme and highlights Guelmim-Oued Nun for becoming the first region in Morocco to adopt a regional coastal plan covering an area of 242.3 km2. This plan also includes territorial waters up to a distance of 12 nautical miles in 16 communes, of which 10 are coastal and six form part of the coastal zone. 

The adopted document is based on five strategic guidelines, 17 operational axes and 36 projects. 

Five priority projects for the Guelmim-Oued Nun region

In order to stimulate investment in the coastal area of the Guelmim-Oued Nun region in sectors with strong potential such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, ecotourism and the social and solidarity economy, five major integrated and cross-cutting priority projects have been drawn up in the following areas: 

• Energy transition and transformational adaptation for climate-resilient coastal development in Chbika, through the creation of a seawater desalination plant and the development of green spaces. 
• Hydrological corridor, through a connection between land and sea. 
• Enhancement of the value of the Playa Blanca beach through solar-powered seawater desalination projects, the development of organic farming and the preservation of the area's biological and ecological importance. 
• Valuation of marine potential through the adoption of innovative projects. 
• Reinforcement of a climate-resilient, intelligent urban dynamic for the coastline. 

It should be borne in mind that climate change is intensifying every day, both at sea and on land, and that there is increasing pressure on fish stocks due to growing demand, which threatens the availability of fishery resources. 

In a comparison with the same period last year, the production of pelagic species during the month of January 2025 has decreased by 34% on the Atlantic coast and 29% on the Mediterranean coast. This situation implies a strong concentration and a review of the procedures to make them more sustainable in order to preserve marine resources for future generations. 

Morocco: African leader in sustainable aquaculture

According to the Italian monthly magazine ‘Porto e Interporto’ in its March 2025 issue, the National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture (ANDA) is focusing on promoting and strengthening Morocco's fishing capacities by launching an ambitious strategic plan for 2025, which includes 22 new projects aimed at attracting national and foreign investment. 

In 2024, the country created the first fish hatchery for aquaculture, with the aim of producing up to 30 million fry of sea bream, sea bass, meagre and other species of interest for high-quality aquaculture. According to the magazine, this hatchery will be ‘an essential element’ of the Mediterranean aquaculture sector dedicated to guaranteeing a reliable supply of fry for food. 

The magazine also pointed out that ‘this strategic initiative aims to strengthen production and promote a global, high-quality and sustainable development of the Mediterranean sea fishing sector’, adding that ‘the breeding of young fish will not only guarantee the future of aquaculture, but will also contribute to alleviating the pressure on Mediterranean marine resources’. 

‘Porto e Interporto’ concluded by stating that ‘Morocco's experience shows that a specific strategy, supported by a range of partners, adequate international funding and concrete and technologically innovative policies, can make aquaculture a central pillar of food security and the prosperity of the blue economy’. 

Source - https://www.atalayar.com