The management plan for the small pelagic seeks a sustainable exploitation of this resource and a maximization of its valorization. It revolves around five fisheries spread throughout the coastline: mediterranean, north atlantic, central atlantic and south atlantic.
This management plan started in February 2010 and introduced, in a first phase, management measures in the South Atlantic fishery that regulate the authorized fishing zones, the authorized species, and the operating conditions for the different types of fleets as well as monitoring and catch control documents.
Management measures
The management plan for small pelagic fish sets in particular:
- The overall TAC per management unit;
- The overall tonnage, the number and characteristics of authorized ships to catch small pelagic species while taking into account, when necessary, the targeted species;
- The periods and the maritime areas in which fishing for small pelagic is prohibited;
- Number and types of allowed gears;
- The percentage of allowed by-catch;
- The distribution modalities regarding the maximum volumes of small pelagic that authorized ships can catch;
- If applicable, mandatory disembarkation ports.
Legal references
- Decree No. 2-07-230 of 5 Kaada 1429 (November 4, 2008) laying down the conditions and modalities for fishing small pelagic in the ZEE;
- Order No. 3279 of 16 December 2010 setting the conditions to access small pelagic fishery in the South Atlantic, it is amended by Decree No. 1175-13 of 8 April 2013;
- Order of the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fishing No. 2719-11 of 27 September 2011 prohibiting the fishing of sardines, anchovies, mackerel, saberfish, sardinellas and scads for five years from coasts between parallels 25 ° and 24 ° for a distance of 15 nautical miles;
- Order of the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries n ° 2010-10 of 26 July 2010 amending and supplementing the Order n ° 1154-88 of 3 October 1988 by fixating the minimum market size of the fished species in the Moroccan maritime waters.