DEVELOPMENT OF SITING GUIDELINES, MONITORING STANDARDS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODELS COASTAL FINFISH AQUACULTURE IN MOROCCO

Morocco is well-positioned to grow a strong coastal aquaculture industry given its available suitable ocean space, investor interests, and proximity to high demand seafood markets. For sustainable coastal aquaculture to occur, management decisions must be based on reliable scientific data and an advanced knowledge of the local marine environment. Planning and implementing aquaculture based on best management practices reduces relative risks to the environment, increases chances of successful continued operations, and allows Moroccan coastal managers to work towards development of resilient aquaculture in the near future. With the aim to increasing the capacity of the Moroccan government to utilize environmental management tools for finfish aquaculture, a partnership was established between the National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture (ANDA) and NOAA's National Ocean Service. This collaboration was created by the U.S. Department of State in support of the current US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. The goal of the collaboration is to develop three written guidelines focused on siting, modeling, and environmental monitoring of marine finfish aquaculture along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Morocco, applying the most current management frameworks and tools available.