Morocco Invests $60 Million in Advanced Oceanographic Research Vessel from Japan

Valued at nearly 623 million dirhams, this vessel was financed up to 480 million dirhams by a loan from the Japanese government. According to an INRH press release, this gem is intended for the multidisciplinary research of the marine ecosystem and climate change issues. It is also designed to carry out multidisciplinary scientific prospecting campaigns, including fisheries stock assessments, oceanographic measurements and the marine environment.

This 49m vessel will be able to accommodate more than 15 scientists in complete autonomy, with a duration of 30 days, indicates the same press release. According to the Institute, the vessel entered its actual construction phase in November 2019, for a launch in June 2020, after several years of studies. It will be delivered to Morocco in early 2021, the Institute specifies.

Thanks to this vessel, Morocco will be able to strengthen its capacity to observe and monitor the state of marine ecosystems, conduct research, both nationally and regionally, and contribute to international scientific research efforts to combat the effects of climate change on the oceans.

For more than a decade, Morocco has integrated sustainability at the heart of its sectoral fisheries strategy "Halieutis", through the promotion of a paradigm shift in production, to move from a quantitative to a qualitative mode.