17 November 2011: A technical assistance mission was undertaken in Rabat, Morocco, and the area of Saïdia, on the Ramsar Site “Embouchure de la Moulouya.” It addressed concerns regarding the development of tourist facilities in the vicinity, which supports avifauna and high levels of biodiversity.

The mission was conducted by the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention), jointly with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). It took place from 12-16 October 2010, at the invitation of the Moroccan High Commissioner of Forestry, Combating Desertification, the Moroccan Ramsar Administrative Authority, and was funded by the Swiss Grant for Africa programme.

According to the Ramsar Secretariat, the mission team met with stakeholders and visited key areas of the Ramsar Site and new tourist infrastructures built nearby. The team then formulated 25 recommendations. The mission noted that the development of the adjacent tourist infrastructure led to a decline in biodiversity, but that the site still has good ecological potential. It recommended enhancing the participation of, and improving the dialogue among, stakeholders to achieve wise use of the site by restoring key habitats and to sustainably manage tourists. The recommendations are included in the mission report, which was formally approved by the Moroccan Ramsar Authority. [Ramsar Press Release]