Morocco examines monk seal protection

The task force on the protection of monk seal is convening (Oct. 12-13) in the Southern Moroccan town of Dakhla to consider a mechanism on the implementation of recommendations of the Action Plan on the safeguard of this endangered species of seals.

The third session of the task force, is held under the Bonn convention on the preservation of migrating species as part of the UN Environement Programme.

The Action Plan provides for the coordination and the funding of the activities to protect the Monk seal (Monachus Monachus), as well as collection of data on this sea mamal.

Speaking at the opening of the session, attended by experts from Spain, Portugal, Mauritania and Morocco, Rhanimi Tijani, Moroccan Secretary General of the fisheries department, said of the importance his country gives to the protection of the Monk seal and praised the efforts made by other countries to the same end.

The seal used to be an abundant species. Its former range extended from the coasts of the Black and Adriatic Seas through the entire Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean and the northwest coasts of Africa as far south as Senegal. Hunting for its skin prior to this century reduced the population considerably.