e-FishMed: Training on Risk Management in Fisheries in Morocco – Within the framework of the e-FishMed project, funded by the European Union, trainers from the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and the Department for Maritime Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests conducted training sessions on risk management in the control and inspection of fisheries in Rabat, Morocco, from December 12 to 14, 2023. In total, 21 inspectors from the Moroccan fisheries administration participated in this training.
The training aims to support the objectives of the e-FishMed project by contributing to the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and improving the control of conservation measures. The risk-based management approach is crucial to optimize decision-making processes and establish clear objectives for fisheries inspectors, ensuring better cost-effectiveness in control and inspection activities, both at sea and in ports.
During the three-day training session, the focus was on training officers responsible for inspections, teaching them how to apply risk management principles to decide which fishing vessels to inspect and when to do so during a voyage at sea or in port, in order to achieve operational objectives.
The training took place at the Department of Maritime Fisheries in Morocco, one of the beneficiary countries of the e-FishMed project. The project, initiated on February 1, 2022, has a duration of three years and involves Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia as beneficiary countries, with technical support from France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain as project partners. In the future, it may be extended to other Mediterranean countries.
The overall goal of the project is to strengthen capacities in beneficiary countries, contributing to a better understanding and common application of rules. In particular, e-FishMed aims to improve national and regional fisheries monitoring, control, and surveillance systems through the creation of a virtual regional training academy.
The virtual academy of e-FishMed aims to harmonize fisheries control and inspection activities, promoting cooperation and the exchange of best practices among Mediterranean countries. The project aligns with various EU policies, including the strategy for the Western Mediterranean basin, the new approach for a sustainable blue economy, and the new program for the Mediterranean. Its added value was recognized in the WestMed Ministerial Declaration of June 23, 2023.
