To protect young octopuses, the Ministry of Maritime Fisheries takes this measure

A. Latif Baraka: Heba Press

The Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests and the maritime fisheries sector has decided to stop trawling activity and extend the period of the ban on trawling in areas where small octopuses are concentrated, south of Sidi El Ghazi.

Ministerial Decision No. 24/07 issued today, Thursday, September 12, amending the first article of Ministerial Decision No. 24/06 dated August 7, 2024, revealed that it was decided to stop trawling activity south of Sidi El Ghazi in the summer of 2024, on September 20, 2024 (24:00). The second article of the decision also showed that the period of prohibition of trawling in the area specified by the parallels 23 degrees 100 north and 22 degrees 20 north, at a distance of 20. miles calculated from the baselines, was extended until the end of the hunting season, on September 20, 2024 (2400).

These measures are being implemented as planned, taking into account the guidelines of the Aleotis Plan which calls for preserving fishery resources and exploiting them sustainably, as well as taking into account the appearance of juveniles in the southern octopus trap, as well as taking into account the scientific opinion of the National Institute for Maritime Fisheries Research No. 0824/17 of August 6, 2024 – taking into account the need to apply a Preventive approach in order to preserve octopus stocks.

It should be noted that articles three and four contained in Ministerial Decision No. 24/04 of June 27, 2024 remain in force, with article four recommending that the Directorate of Maritime Fisheries, the Directorate for Monitoring Maritime Fishing Activities, the Directorate of Strategy and Cooperation, and the Maritime Fisheries Delegates, each according to their skills, ensure the implementation of the requirements of the decision.