The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the World Bank successfully completed the sixth supervision and implementation support mission for the Program for Results “Development of the Blue Economy in Morocco” (PPR EB), endowed with an amount of USD 350 million. This mission took place from November 17 to 21, 2025, in Rabat and made it possible to assess the considerable progress and concrete achievements recorded by the various stakeholders.
The mission brought partners together for a detailed review of project progress, highlighting the need to maintain a sustained pace in the face of structural and operational challenges. The joint efforts of national entities demonstrate a firm commitment to promoting a resilient blue economy, while acknowledging the management requirements needed for the full achievement of the objectives.
I. Scientific Foundations and Sustainable Resource Management
Commitment to sustainability and the protection of marine and fisheries resources is marked by notable performances:
INRH (National Institute of Fisheries Research): The Institute exceeded its objectives for 2025 in scientific research. Sixteen fish stocks were assessed. In addition, 18,724 hectares of shellfish farming areas are under sanitary surveillance, exceeding the cumulative target by 126%.
MPM (State Secretariat in charge of Maritime Fisheries): Significant progress has been made in the implementation of marine spatial planning. The Agadir Marine Protected Area (MPA) has been officially created by decree. It should be noted that the process of establishing MPAs is governed by strict regulatory requirements, such as the review of comments resulting from the public inquiry. The processes for establishing the future MPAs of Larache and Cap des Trois Fourches are actively underway, targeting a total cumulative area of 61,500 ha.
II. Coastal Resilience and Environmental Quality
Monitoring of environmental indicators and coastal ecosystem surveillance confirm the positive momentum of the program, while highlighting environmental and operational challenges:
ANEF (National Agency for Water and Forests): The Agency has shown sustained commitment to coastal conservation. Cumulative achievements include the restoration of 11,376 hectares of coastal forests, reaching 72% of the final objective. At the same time, 539 hectares of coastal dunes have been stabilized.
DPDPM (Directorate of Ports and the Maritime Public Domain): Coastal monitoring by remote sensing is progressing. A total of 3,560,000 hectares of satellite imagery has been acquired or programmed, exceeding the 2025 intermediate target by 5%. However, the interpretation of the data has covered only 1,690,000 hectares, representing an operational constraint that must be accelerated. To address this, technical assistance financed through the Problue grant is currently underway. This initiative aims to develop a methodological guide for coastline monitoring through the assessment of FHD satellite imagery. These efforts are essential to measure coastline retreat, a real phenomenon evidenced by studies, such as a retreat of approximately 1.5 m to 5 m observed on the Sidi Moussa Cliff between 2011 and 2023.
DDD (Department of Sustainable Development): The Department has continued to reinforce its role in coastal protection. A total of 189 beaches are now monitored out of a final target of 204. Training efforts have made it possible to train 1,490 people in marine and coastal environment management.
III. Investment, Innovation, and Blue Tourism
Actions in favor of economic development continue at a sustained pace, with clear financial commitments and growing impact:
ANDA (National Agency for Aquaculture Development): ANDA highlighted a global commitment of 116 million dirhams for the 2023–2027 period. This investment supports the development of 14 aquaculture farms and the creation of a shrimp cluster. The full achievement of the objectives for the current year remains a management requirement to ensure food security and innovation in the sector.
SMIT (Moroccan Company for Tourism Engineering): The Regional Development Companies (SDR) are continuing their role in the creation and transformation of tourism MSMEs, targeting in particular 100 MSMEs in Guelmim Oued Noun, 150 in Souss Massa, and 600 in Tangier. In addition, the labelling of tourism MSMEs is currently being deployed in the Souss Massa region with the financial support of the Problue Fund, strengthening the quality and sustainability of the blue tourism offer.
- ONMT (Moroccan National Tourist Office): Mobilization in favor of blue tourism continues. Advertising campaigns have generated a considerable impact, reaching a total of 276,438,855 contacts, confirming the appeal of Morocco’s seaside destinations.
Conclusion and Perspectives
The mission welcomed the progress made and highlighted the Government’s ongoing commitment. Nevertheless, it stressed the need to remove the remaining operational constraints, particularly the acceleration of the interpretation of satellite data (DPDPM) and compliance with procedural requirements for the establishment of MPAs (MPM). The results confirm the positive momentum of the Program, consolidating the foundations of a resilient Blue Economy that creates value for the Kingdom.
