HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
An alliance between the Spanish organization "Salarte" and Moroccan partners has launched a promising project to revive the "Larache Salt Flats," aiming to restore the ecosystem of the marshes in the "Loukkos" basin.
Spanish media reports revealed that the project relies on sustainable solutions based on nature and the blue economy to enhance the environmental and cultural heritage of the region, adding that "Salarte" technicians went to the area to assess the current state of the marshes.
The Spanish website "El Faro" stated that the technicians of the organization, which is based in Cadiz, held meetings with local institutions and researchers involved in its preservation, as part of a strategy to define a comprehensive intervention project for the management and sustainability of this natural and cultural heritage in the long term.
The website noted that the meeting was organized by Mostafa El Khadra, the president of the Solidarity Development Association of Bordeaux (ADS-Burdeos), with the participation of his colleague Ghita Awami, and a multidisciplinary team that included the artist Carmit Even Zur, the curator of the Lixus archaeological site Anas El Omrani, and the historian Driss Chahboun.
According to the same source, the meeting was attended by the French doctor Daniel Mújica, the fine arts professor Aziz El Omrani, the biologist Younes Hamimsa, the Spanish expert Marta Angulo, and the representatives of "Salarte" Juan Martín Bermúdez and Mara Escasi.
"El Faro" reported that during the stay, the delegation was received by the mayor of Larache, Abdelmoumen Sebahi, in a technical and institutional meeting at the municipal hall, before Juan Martín made a diagnostic visit to the salt flats and marshes under the supervision of the region's sailors, who had previously collaborated with "Salarte" in 2019, with the participation of Anas El Omrani to provide a historical perspective on the relationship between the city and water catchments since ancient times.
The project also allowed for getting acquainted with the progress of the "@rosa__sel" project developed by students from a multidisciplinary college at the University of Larache, where they presented innovative products made from Larache salt, while Marta Angulo and Daniel Mújica presented proposals to promote the sustainable marketing of artisanal salt and integrate it into local markets.
The mission concluded with the preparation of a roadmap to launch a pilot project to rehabilitate the salt flats, in which Moroccan, French, and Spanish youth participate in field work, reflecting international cooperation and commitment to the region, while Juan Martín Bermúdez confirmed that "these steps are a dream come true to restore the deep relationship of the people of Larache with the Loukkos River and its catchments."
This initiative reinforces the work that began in September during the eighth Strait Festival in Barbate, where "Salarte" presented its intervention model in the Bay of Cadiz and laid the foundations for a pilot project for environmental restoration in Loukkos, based on its experience in restoring abandoned salt marshes in Andalusia by combining environmental restoration, science, bird tourism, cooking, and traditional activities as tools for preservation and social development.
The delegation identified a set of priorities after the visit, most notably restoring nature to the marshes, restoring the salt culture in Larache, and establishing a participatory management model that integrates administrations, universities, associations, and citizens, confirming "Salarte's" commitment to contributing its expertise to restore this heritage to become a source of life, job opportunities, and pride for its residents.
The aforementioned sources mentioned that the initiative is supported by "ADS-Burdeos" and "Larache en Acción", in addition to the municipalities of Barbate and Larache, to promote cross-border cooperation around the blue economy, environmental culture, and the restoration of ecosystems, within the network of artisanal salt flats on the East Atlantic Flyway, which the organization has been working on since 2019 in cooperation between the European and African continents.
The website confirmed that "Salarte" and the participating parties have intensified their efforts for the comprehensive preservation and management of coastal marshes, reinforcing the vision of the Strait of Gibraltar as a bridge territory for communication, dialogue, and a shared future between Spain and Morocco, ensuring the sustainability of environmental restoration, cultural and social development.
