Jellyfish Swarms Alarm Tourists and Tourism Industry on Morocco’s Northern Beaches

The summer is starting badly in Morocco. In addition to the cancellation of flights to the kingdom due to the strike of cabin crew in France and Belgium, etc., vacationers and tourism professionals also have to deal with the invasion of jellyfish on the beaches of the cities of Al Hoceima, Driouch, Nador and Tetouan. Foreign and national tourists dread their stings which cause painful burns, while tourism promoters, who are counting on the summer season to regain good financial health after the Covid-19 pandemic, fear the impact of this phenomenon on their activity, reports the daily Assabah.

According to scientific sources, the proliferation of jellyfish is explained by the increase in sea water temperature caused by climate change and the absence of natural predators of these marine animals due to overfishing, which in particular leads to a persistent reduction in fishery resources. A decline in these resources has meanwhile been recorded on the coasts of Al Hoceima. And, the fishermen are fearful at the idea of finding themselves in the same situation.