Morocco has officially established eight Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, emphasized the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, on Thursday in El Jadida.
Highlighting the actions taken by the Kingdom as part of the implementation of commitments related to the new global biodiversity framework, Ms. Benali stated during the opening session of the 8th edition of the Sea Forum that the goal is to reach 10% of protected maritime area by 2030.
Explaining the importance of this approach, the minister noted that 30% of protected marine areas would increase fish biomass by 500%, providing more certainty to the fishing industry while significantly increasing added value for local communities.
Ms. Benali affirmed that under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has implemented, in close consultation with stakeholders, a set of strategic, legal, institutional, and operational measures to protect its marine and coastal ecosystems.
She noted that the preservation of fragile environments, particularly marine ones, “is now at the heart of our National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS), a reference framework for integrating sustainability principles into all sectoral and territorial policies.”
The coastal law has been adopted, laying the foundations for integrated coastal zone management, in accordance with Morocco’s international commitments, notably the ICZM Protocol of the Barcelona Convention on the protection of the Mediterranean Sea and its coast, she continued.
Regarding the fight against pollution, the minister emphasized the positive results of the “Plastic-Free Coast” action plan, in synergy with efforts made under the National Emergency Plan against accidental marine pollution, indicating that “the compliance rate of bathing water quality increased to 93% in 2024, compared to 88% in 2021” and that “waste collected on beaches has decreased by more than 21%.”
Ms. Benali asserted that these concrete advances illustrate the importance of collective action, driven by awareness, education, and the ongoing mobilization of all actors, institutions, communities, civil society, citizens, and particularly Moroccan youth and the associative sector.
The 8th edition of the Sea Forum opened on Thursday evening in El Jadida, under the theme “The Sea, Future of the Earth.”
The opening ceremony of the Forum was marked by the presence of the Consul General of France in Casablanca, Pascale Trimbach, and the governor of the province of El Jadida, Mhamed Atfaoui.
Organized until May 11, this Forum aims to be a space for exchange, reflection, and action, bringing together experts, researchers, artists, as well as representatives of institutions, NGOs, and businesses around major environmental and maritime challenges.