Morocco has real potential for the blue economy (BE). It enjoys a significant maritime capital with two seaboards extending up to 3,500 km, an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of around 1.2 million km², along with a vast potential in both fisheries and other renewable resources.
The Council calls for the adoption of a national strategy for a sustainable, inclusive blue economy. The need for a territorial dimension in this strategy, the Council explains, is important to develop traditional sectors (fishing, tourism and port activity) and to promote new sectors with high growth potential like aquaculture, ecotourism, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding and renewable energies. The strategy’s aim is also to strengthen Morocco’s competitive position on the international stage and enhance its standing as a credible regional partner, by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the new blue economy and climate financing instruments.
Morocco has real potential for the blue economy (BE). It enjoys a significant maritime capital with two seaboards extending up to 3,500 km, an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of around 1.2 million km², along with a vast potential in both fisheries and other renewable resources.
The Council notes in this report that over the past 20 years, Morocco has adopted several sectoral strategies covering a range of activities directly or indirectly linked to maritime capital. It goes on to explain that the need is, however, for the country to adopt a new vision with an inclusive, sustainableand integrated approach aimed at harnessing the potential to create wealth and jobs, while recognizing and promoting the significant contributions of major sectors to the blue economy and preserving marine ecosystems.
It is against this backdrop that the Council calls for the adoption of a national strategy for a sustainable, inclusive blue economy. The need for a territorial dimension in this strategy, the Council explains, is important to develop traditional sectors (fishing, tourism and port activity) and to promote new sectors with high growth potential like aquaculture, ecotourism, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding and renewable energies. The strategy’s aim is also to strengthen Morocco’s competitive position on the international stage and enhance its standing as a credible regional partner, by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the new blue economy and climate financing instruments.
The strategy execution projects should be developed in consultation with citizens and relevant stakeholders, with the overriding objective of promoting access to maritime services and resources for all social categories. The implementation of this strategy shall be guided and evaluated, for optimal coordination of different sectoral policies, by an ad hoc ministerial committee reporting to the Head of Government.
In addition to this recommendation of prime importance, the report presents a series of other proposals to unlock the potential of the blue economy. These recommendations are categorized as follows: