Norway, Netherlands Inject $2.5 Million Into Moroccan Aquaculture

Rabat – The Netherlands and Norway have contributed $2.5 million to an aquaculture project Morocco launched on April 30 to promote the country’s fish farming industry.

The UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) also supports the project, a joint effort of the Moroccan Fisheries Department and the National Aquaculture Development Agency.

The Moroccan aquaculture project comes with the objective of training local aquaculture technicians and providing them with professional training for upcoming projects set to launch along the country’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.

The project also falls within Morocco’s fishing strategy, “Halieutis.” The strategy is set to create new industrial platforms and improve the professional management of the country’s fishery resources.

Norway’s financial contribution to the Moroccan aquaculture project reached $1.65 million, while the Netherlands injected $0.85 million.

The funds will go towards installing a training station for fish and shellfish production in the southern province of Sidi Ifni, 160 kilometers from Agadir. The sum benefit specialized workers and skilled workers in all aquaculture trades, in collaboration with the Maritime Professional Qualification Center (CQPM).

The blooming Moroccan aquaculture industry

Aquaculture in Morocco dates back to 1956, thanks to a French oyster farmer who created the first oyster park in the lagoon of the city of Oualidia, 176 kilometers from Casablanca.

The same farming techniques and systems practiced in Oualidia are currently used in Dakhla Bay for the production of Pacific oysters.

On February 7, King Mohammed VI inaugurated a new fishing dock in the town of Imourane, near Agadir. The project cost around MAD 24.6 million (approximately $2.32 million) and will benefit more than 130 fishermen from the coastal town.

The development project of the region also built A similar project in the town of Gourizim, near Tiznit, with a budget of MAD 19.8 million (approximately $2.03 million).

The region is currently developing 24 aquaculture projects, notably the shellfish farming areas of Imi Ouaddar, Imsouane, and Tifnit, along with seaweed farming projects in Sidi Rbat.