“Farms” for algae in the marchica lagoon

Within the “Integrated management of the coastal areas of the Kingdom of Morocco (ICZM)” Program and the “Sustainable Med” Program, implemented by the Ministry of Environment and supported by the Global Fund for Environment (GEF) and the World Bank, the “Marchica” Artisan Cooperative, created on October 5th, 2013, which today has about 30 members, has received a grant for the construction of an algae breeding project, of the Gracilaria Gracilis species . The project, of a social nature, is developed and monitored by the National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture (ANDA) and aims to diversify the activity of local fishermen.

This would reduce fishing pressure on fish stocks and at the same time would improve fishermen’s income. The system, which plans to reach an annual production of 1300 tons of wet algae, will occupy an offshore concession of 28 hectares, in the municipality of Bouareg (Marchica Lagoon), with a total of 16 cultivation units, to be established within 2017 and 2018. The adopted technique is the cultivation on suspended nets between wooden poles. The product is used by the industry for the extraction of Agar.