Moroccan Government Invests in Marine Research Vessel

Rabat – The Moroccan Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) has launched a call for bids for the construction of a new coastal research vessel. The estimated budget for the project is over MAD 25 million.

According to INRH criteria, the ship will be 20 by 6.5 meters. It will sail alongside the Moroccan coastline, with a few deep-sea incursions. It will carry a team of scientists in addition of a crew of INRH personnel to handle sailing and operating the ship, bringing the total number of passengers at 12 for short term coastal missions, and four for longer missions of over 24 hours.

The ship’s research missions will help provide reliable information on the size and variety of fish populations present in Morocco’s waters. This will, in‌ ‌turn, assist in guiding the country’s fisheries and conservation policy, preventing overfishing, and making sure the country’s marine resources remain available for future generations, thus realizing the INRH’s core mission of building a sustainable fisheries model for Morocco.

In addition to marine research, the INRH also works to improve the overall fishing industry through market and supply chain research. The institute works with both large corporations and small scale, independent fishermen, many of whom still rely on traditional methods, in order to optimize their while preventing overexploitation.