Rabat – A total of 30 beaches and three marinas will hoist the international Blue Flag label in Morocco during the summer period.
With 27 beaches and three marinas bearing the Blue Flag label, Morocco has the highest number of label holders amongArab countries and the second highest in Africa, said the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection on their official website.
All 28 beaches awarded the Blue Flag label in 2022 have renewed their flags, except the Moussafir beach in Dakhla, which withdrew its application due to the work that will be carried out on the beach’s shores, making it temporarily difficult to access, noted the same source.
The source added that beaches that send their candidacy must meet entertainment and environmental awareness criteria such as water quality, cleanliness, hygiene, maintenance, equipment, and safety, stressing that random checks are carried out to ensure compliance with the criteria for awarding the label.
As for marinas, it is Al Hoceima marina’s turn to raise the Blue Flag after Saidia in 2018 and Est Marina Smir in 2022. The award criteria for marinas are more strict, particularly with regard to waste management.
The Mohamed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment has been deploying its “B7arblaplastic” (plastic-free beach) operation since 2019, aimed at raising mass awareness among summer visitors of plastic pollution, collecting waste, and recycling it.
The operation will see its fourth edition in 2023, with the participation of all Blue Flag-labeled beaches.
The Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) named “B7arblaplastic” as the best practice for raising awareness of Blue Flag beaches in 2020.
Furthermore, this operation has been integrated into the United Nations 2021-2030 Decade of Ocean Sciences as a pilot action.
Municipalities awarded the Blue Flag label are responsible for the complete beach management within their perimeter, and are supported by the Foundation’s Clean Beaches program and the Directorate General for Local Authorities.
The Blue Flag label is awarded annually by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection.
Internationally, it is an ecolabel awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and was introduced in the Kingdom in 2002.
Read also: 28 Moroccan Beaches Awarded 2022 ‘Blue Flag’ Label
