Casablanca – The Atlantic Initiative launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to promote access of Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean will promote the mobility of ships in Atlantic ports, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests (Fisheries Department), Zakia Driouich, said Monday in Casablanca.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the third Regional Coordination Meeting of FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, Driouich underlined that ‘this international initiative of HM the King will allow Morocco to better control and fight illegal fishing’.

In this regard, she stressed that the meeting highlights the continued efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco, initiated since the launch of the Halieutis Plan by HM the King in 2009, and crowns the actions undertaken to fight illegal and unregulated fishing.

For his part, FAO Representative in Morocco, Jean Senahoun, said that through holding this meeting in Casablanca, FAO recognizes Morocco’s exceptional efforts i
n implementing the Agreement on port State Measures, adding that the collaboration between FAO and the Kingdom aims to amplify these efforts and guarantee tangible results in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

He also stressed that IUU fishing represents a major threat to oceans, economies and societies, causes significant financial losses, estimated at billions of dollars, disrupts the international market and weakens the livelihoods of local communities, particularly small-scale fishermen.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse