Ramadan Beach Gatherings Raise Environmental Concerns in Morocco

"The pollution accompanying these meals causes great harm to the maritime space, in particular the discharge of plastic waste that takes a long time to decompose and leads to ecological disasters, both for the coastline and for the marine environment as a whole," denounce the organizations. Many Moroccans, seeking tranquility, prefer to break the fast on the beaches, "leaving behind food remains and plastic waste, which affects the ecological balance of the beaches."

In a statement to Hespress, the president of a local association denounced the iftars on the beaches during the month of Ramadan, adding that "the abandonment of waste on site undermines the sanctity of the fast as well as the ecosystems." The association leader stressed the need to warn against these "unfounded and useless practices" at the beginning of the holy month, urging people who have their iftar on the beach to be more civic-minded and eco-friendly.

"Cases of pollution remain isolated and do not concern all those who go to the beach," however noted the activist, warning about "the negative effects of the waste left by some vacationers, especially plastic waste that does not decompose and alters the quality of the sand, beaches and biodiversity. The fish, inevitably, also suffer from this waste." And he insisted: "Cleanliness is part of the faith. So throwing garbage anywhere, especially in the sea, is unacceptable."

Another local official, for his part, called for a change in behavior. "Despite repeated warnings in recent years, we have found that the beaches become a real dump after iftar," he lamented, urging the authorities to set up larger capacity trash cans and "to intensify awareness and education campaigns for the population, in coordination with civil society."