Morocco-Japan fisheries agreement: signing of a project to develop aquaculture in the Kingdom – A delegation from the Department of Maritime Fisheries, led by its Secretary General Zakia Driouich, took part in the 37th session of the annual consultation provided for under the fisheries agreement that has linked Morocco and Japan since 1985, in Tokyo, Japan.
During this meeting, the two parties reviewed the main provisions of the agreement and set out the prospects for cooperation over the coming year, in particular the projects currently being carried out in Morocco as part of cooperation with the Japanese government, according to a press release from the Department of Maritime Fisheries, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests.
Praising the level of cooperation in the fisheries sector, the two parties agreed to make up for the delay in implementing projects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. On the sidelines of the session, they also signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of an aquaculture development project for blue growth in Morocco, as part of technical cooperation with Japan.
The minutes were signed on Wednesday 14 June at the headquarters of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Tokyo by Zakia Driouich and Osamu Kubota, Vice-President of JICA. The signing ceremony was also attended by senior officials from both parties.
A 3-year project
The aim of the project, which will run for 3 years from 2023 and is the result of several meetings between officials from the two countries, is to improve and diversify aquaculture activities in coastal villages with a view to blue growth. The project also aims to lay the foundations for small-scale aquaculture in Morocco, based on a concept integrating scientific research, training and development involving the Institut national de la recherche halieutique, the Agence nationale du développement de l’aquaculture and the Institut de technologie des pêches maritimes in Larache.
Maritime fisheries relations between the two countries date back more than 40 years, notably with the fisheries agreement still in force since 1985. Cooperation has focused in particular on fisheries research, training, the construction of fishing villages, and the provision of experts to coordinate and support the implementation of projects.
Morocco-Japan fisheries agreement: signing of a project to develop aquaculture in the Kingdom
