Moroccan fishing boats to be equipped with monitoring devices

Moroccan fishing boats will be equipped with devices enabling the fishing authorities to follow their movement and monitor their catches.

A bill to this end was adopted on Tuesday by the parliamentary committee in charge of productive sectors.

The monitoring devices will also inform the authorities on the country's sea resources, the location of fish schools, fish species and others.

With national territorial waters extending over 1.2 million square km and with a 3,500 km long sea coast, Morocco has huge sea resources and harbors over 840 fish species.

In 1997, the sector posted a production of 782,000 tons worth 5 billion dirhams (about $500 million), and in 1988 sea products exports earned the country $740 million. The sector provides direct jobs to 400,000 persons.