AGIR

AGIR Organise un Knowledge Coffee dans le Congrès International (IMPAC3) le 22 Octobre 2013 à Marseille

Although it is one of the poorest parts of the northern Morocco, the National Park of Al Hoceima hosts one of the most astonishing coastal biodiversity clusters of all the Mediterranean. The almost forty kilometres of steep rocky cliffs dropping into the sea are home to hundreds of pairs of endangered bird species, and create an unbelievable submarine landscape hosting hundreds of species from the smallest invertebrates to the rare Monk Seal recently (extinct).

The area is almost untouched by humans from the land because of the steepness of the cliffs, but there is a large fleet of commercial fishing vessels which ply this coast. This coastal core area is currently covered by a weak provincial protection status and together with other relevant marine zones of the province, act as a ‘lung’ for the commercial fish stocks targeted, and several important nursery areas have been identified. Due to the weak protection status and the lack of proper monitoring, the access of damaging bottom trawlers and the use of explosives for fishing is not prevented. Garbage dumps from the villages on the mountains tops along the coast is also causing problems through pollution, run-off etc.

We are working in a systemic approach to address this complex set of problems with a large research and participatory planning program organized by AGIR an environmental Moroccan NGO , traditional fishermen have been able to contribute , alongside supervising bodies, to a participatory action plan that led to redefined zoning of the marine protected area . The action plan recommends the eradication of all non-responsible fishing activities. The plan will be co-managed with the supervising bodies, but the real challenge is the development of the tools required to take economic advantage from their conservation effort.

telecharger le dépliant de la présentation

Recherche et planification participativeeng