HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Today, in the Spanish city of Seville, Zakia Darif, Secretary of State to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests in charge of Fisheries, was elected President of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), on the sidelines of the 29th Ordinary Session of the Commission, held in Seville, Spain, from November 15 to 24, 2025.
Darif was elected as the first woman to head this commission with broad support from the majority of countries, including the European Union countries, the United States of America, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, in addition to the African countries members of the Ministerial Conference on Cooperation in Fisheries between African Countries Bordering the Atlantic Ocean (COMHAFAT), Central American countries, and Arab countries. It is worth noting that the Kingdom of Morocco was represented in the outgoing office through Mrs. Zakia Darif, who held the position of First Vice-President of ICCAT for four years. This election reflects the continuous efforts made by Morocco in the field of conservation of marine resources and the implementation of management measures for Atlantic tuna fisheries, as well as its strong presence in the relevant international bodies. It also expresses, on the other hand, the confidence that Morocco enjoys within the international community in this field, and the importance of its firm commitment to ensuring the sustainability of fish resources. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international governmental organization concerned with the conservation of tuna and its similar species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas. The recommendations issued by this commission are binding on all member states, including the Kingdom of Morocco, as failure to implement or comply with them entails restrictive measures that may include, in particular, a ban on exports of fishing products for violating countries. The commission includes 55 contracting parties, in addition to four non-contracting fishing countries or entities, in addition to observers from non-governmental organizations working in the field of fisheries (such as WWF, PEW, and ISSF…). This broad representation contributes to strengthening the growing status of ICCAT as an international reference in the field of sustainable management of tuna and similar species.
