HIBAPRESS
The Secretary of State in charge of Fisheries, Zakia Deriouch, held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, May 5, in Cyprus with the Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), Miguel Bernard. The meeting was dedicated to exploring ways to enhance technical and institutional cooperation and to envision new joint projects for the benefit of countries in the Mediterranean basin, foremost among them the Kingdom of Morocco.
This meeting was an opportunity to emphasize the strength of the existing partnership between Morocco and the Commission and the importance of continuing coordination in a number of priority areas, especially the sustainable management of marine fisheries, support for scientific research, and strengthening sectoral governance mechanisms at the regional level, ensuring the protection of marine resources and keeping pace with the increasing environmental challenges in the region. In this context, it was agreed to schedule a technical mission to the Kingdom of Morocco during the first half of July 2026, a step that received initial approval from the Executive Secretary of the Commission, reflecting the common will to activate field cooperation between the two sides and strengthen the exchange of experiences in the field. The two sides also discussed the possibility of preparing a new Mediterranean project within the framework of the ninth session of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-9), which is expected to include programmed activities within Morocco, within the framework of an approach aimed at enhancing the sustainability of marine resources and keeping pace with the environmental transformations that the Mediterranean space is experiencing. During the meeting, the Moroccan side presented a set of practical proposals aimed at developing the sector, including addressing the issue of the "black dolphin" and its impact on fishing activities and the paths of fishermen, supporting and qualifying the traditional fishing sector by improving control of fishing equipment, in addition to developing marine protected areas in response to the aspirations of professionals, while studying the possibility of creating income-generating activities for the benefit of the local population. The adoption of the "observational fishing" model was also addressed to enhance the tracking of marine resources and improve their management more accurately. At the conclusion of this meeting, the two sides stressed the importance of continuing coordination, consultation, and enhancing technical cooperation, especially in light of the new dynamic that the technical unit of the Commission is experiencing in the city of Malaga, which will be accompanied by a new leadership that will accompany the Commission's delegation during its expected visit to Morocco, which will open wider horizons for developing the partnership and strengthening joint work in the field of sustainable fisheries. This meeting embodies the Kingdom of Morocco's keenness to consolidate its regional and international cooperation in the field of fisheries and support efforts to preserve marine resources and ensure their sustainability, which serves the sustainable development of the sector at both the national and regional levels.
