Casablanca –  In the latest edition of the Kingdom’s official newspaper, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forests issued Decision No. 885.24, which outlines procedures for implementing certain provisions of Decree No. 2.20.147 regarding the application of Law No. 59.14 concerning the acquisition, construction, and renovation of fishing vessels.

According to the new decision, the application for a pre-license to build, import, replace, or renovate fishing vessels must be submitted by the vessel owner, legal representative, or authorized agent. This requires providing various professional documents as specified in the accompanying annexes to the decision.

The decision also stipulates specific requirements for submitting a pre-license application to replace or renovate a fishing vessel. This includes presenting a copy of the latest fishing license or fishing authorization beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone assigned to the concerned fishing vessel, along with a copy of the vessel’s technical card and a court ruling if the vessel is suspended due to a dispute.

Regarding the transfer of pre-licenses for building, importing, replacing, or renovating fishing vessels, interested parties must submit a request accompanied by documents, including a copy of the pre-license subject to transfer, as well as inheritance and death certificates.

Furthermore, for applications related to pre-licenses for vessels under construction, applicants must provide a legally signed construction contract, along with documents indicating the progress of vessel construction.

This ministerial decision, approved in April, reflects the government’s efforts to combat illegal practices in fishing vessel construction and monitoring compliance with legal standards. This includes conducting inspections by marine fisheries delegations at shipbuilding and renovation sites, especially those using wooden materials.

This recent arsenal of measures aims to address the proliferation of unauthorized fishing boats or those lacking prior licensing, including those suspected of using forged documents.