“In accordance with the High Instructions of His Majesty the King, may God help him, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mr. Mohammed Sadiki visited on Friday January 26, 2024 the Liberia, at the invitation of the Liberian Authorities, for the official launch of an ecosystem scientific prospecting campaign in the Liberian Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) alongside His Excellency, the Vice-President of the Republic of Liberia, Mr. Zegben Jeremiah Kpan Koung,” the ministry said in a statement.
The scientific prospecting mission declines the subject of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests and the Director General of the National Authority of Fisheries and Liberia Aquaculture (NaFAA), January 30, 2023, reports the same source.
The objective of this operation is to realize a pioneering and unprecedented campaign to assess fish stocks and the marine ecosystem of Liberian maritime waters, by scientists from the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH) on board the boat. Moroccan scientific research institute Hassan Al Marrakchi, in partnership with NaFAA.
On the occasion of this ceremony, the Moroccan team of the scientific expedition which will lead this fish stocks prospecting campaign, from January 26 to February 9, 2024, in Liberian territorial waters, was presented during the visit of the ship of search for Al Hassan Al Marrakchi. It has 31 people including 11 scientists and 20 crew members.
48 meters long, with a volume of 1,238 tonnes and with a capacity to accommodate 33 people, the Al Hassan Al Marrakchi ship is a versatile cutting-edge oceanographic research and observation platform.
The ship is equipped with multifunctional laboratories, in acoustics, oceanography, hydrography and marine biology, making it possible to carry out a so-called ecosystem campaign, integrating all the components of the marine ecosystem for the benefit of Liberia, in particular, the assessment of abundances. stocks of small pelagic and benthic fish as well as the oceanographic and environmental study of Liberian waters, with a view to sustainable management of fishery resources by Liberia.
This fisheries prospecting mission highlights the strong and collaborative relationship between Liberia and Morocco, directly reflecting the Royal desire of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to promote openness between the African nations of the Atlantic coast, and encourage the development of the sector regional fisheries sector oriented towards a sustainable blue economy.
Thus, in the royal speech on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March, on November 6, 2023, HM the King called for “that the Atlantic coast becomes a high place of human communion, a pole of economic integration , a center of continental and international influence” by encouraging the development of an integrated maritime economy, “this integrated economy must be based on continuous investment in the maritime fishing sectors, the desalination of seawater for agricultural, encouraging the blue economy and supporting renewable energies.
In this sense, the prospecting mission is part of the Blue Belt Initiative (BBI) project launched at COP22, a regional collaboration platform focused on strengthening ocean observation and fisheries sciences with a clear objective mitigating the effects of climate change and strengthening the resilience of marine ecosystems.
Requested by Liberia and supported by COMHAFAT, this cooperative action is based on a true spirit of sharing knowledge and expertise.
The efforts made by the Kingdom of Morocco to develop its research and expertise in the fisheries field, as well as to strengthen its intervention capacities at sea, are essential to the realization of this initiative. This benefits not only Morocco, but also the West African region as a whole.
Also taking part in this ceremony were the Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Maritime Economy of the Republic of Guinea, Charlotte DAFFÉ and the Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation between African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (COMHAFAT), Sidi Tiémoko TOURÉ, the President of the Parliament of Liberia, J. Fonati Koffa, as well as many other Liberian personalities and representatives of regional organizations and international.