bars) and on floating longlines lines while growing techniques were based on
farming parks for clam, culture enclosure for shrimps, and floating and fixed cages
for fish. Shellfish and fish were raised in areas of 6 to 8 m in depth and shrimps and
clams in areas bordering the lagoon and having 0.5 to 1.5 m in depth. In addition,
Marost established three hatchery-nursery units, one in 1986 for shellfish producing
oyster and clam spats, the other in 1987 for crustaceans producing shrimp postlarvae,
and the third in 1988 for fish producing sea bass and sea bream fingerlings.
In 1990, Marost decided to centralize its production on fish farming (Catanzano
1999), to give up shrimp farming revealing uncompetitive on target markets and to
reduce shellfish culture to a minimum level, mainly according to national market
needs. Export of cultured fish (sea bass and sea bream) was a required recourse since
fish feed was imported under temporary admission and the regulations in force
obligated in this case to export 90% of imported food equivalent in produced fish.
Marost fish production increased significantly during the 1990s, reaching a peak
of around 1210 t in 1994. During a production period of 16 years, since 1990 until
2005, the average annual production was about 394 t for sea bream, 349 t for
seabass, and 39 t for eel, with an annual overall average of about 781 t. Most of
this production was exported to the European market, mainly Italy. However, during
the 2000s, Marost’s profitability was highly affected by the collapse of sea bass and
sea bream prices, and at the end of 2005, Marost went into bankruptcy and ceased its
activity in January 2006 (Nhhala et al. 2015).
20.4.1.2 Onshore Aquaculture
This kind of aquaculture began in the early 1990s in the coastal area of Saidia
(northeast of Morocco), close to the edge of the Moulouya estuary. A marine farm,
called “Moulouya Aquaculture Society” (SAM), was created in 1990 and was
originally aimed to produce Japanese shrimp in earthen ponds. Facility design and
technical training of staff were carried out by a French office of aquaculture
consulting called “France Aquaculture.”
Located near Moulouya river estuary, on an area of 110 ha of land-based ponds,
SAM tried to culture shrimp in earthen ponds using juveniles produced in its local
hatchery. SAM’s shrimp production was very low, not exceeding 35 t in its first year
of production (1991) and decreasing year by year.
Since shrimp culture showed problems of competitiveness and profitability, SAM
attempted to use earthen ponds for marine fish culture, and it converted shrimp
hatchery to sea bass and sea bream fingerling production. This attempt was technically succeeded, and the obtained production reached 240 t, but due to several
reasons, it could not ensure the company’s sustainability. SAM was constrained to
cease its farming activities in 1997 and then went into bankruptcy in 2000 (FENIP
2010; Orbi et al. 2011; Nhhala 2018).
690
A. Ortega et al.
farming parks for clam, culture enclosure for shrimps, and floating and fixed cages
for fish. Shellfish and fish were raised in areas of 6 to 8 m in depth and shrimps and
clams in areas bordering the lagoon and having 0.5 to 1.5 m in depth. In addition,
Marost established three hatchery-nursery units, one in 1986 for shellfish producing
oyster and clam spats, the other in 1987 for crustaceans producing shrimp postlarvae,
and the third in 1988 for fish producing sea bass and sea bream fingerlings.
In 1990, Marost decided to centralize its production on fish farming (Catanzano
1999), to give up shrimp farming revealing uncompetitive on target markets and to
reduce shellfish culture to a minimum level, mainly according to national market
needs. Export of cultured fish (sea bass and sea bream) was a required recourse since
fish feed was imported under temporary admission and the regulations in force
obligated in this case to export 90% of imported food equivalent in produced fish.
Marost fish production increased significantly during the 1990s, reaching a peak
of around 1210 t in 1994. During a production period of 16 years, since 1990 until
2005, the average annual production was about 394 t for sea bream, 349 t for
seabass, and 39 t for eel, with an annual overall average of about 781 t. Most of
this production was exported to the European market, mainly Italy. However, during
the 2000s, Marost’s profitability was highly affected by the collapse of sea bass and
sea bream prices, and at the end of 2005, Marost went into bankruptcy and ceased its
activity in January 2006 (Nhhala et al. 2015).
20.4.1.2 Onshore Aquaculture
This kind of aquaculture began in the early 1990s in the coastal area of Saidia
(northeast of Morocco), close to the edge of the Moulouya estuary. A marine farm,
called “Moulouya Aquaculture Society” (SAM), was created in 1990 and was
originally aimed to produce Japanese shrimp in earthen ponds. Facility design and
technical training of staff were carried out by a French office of aquaculture
consulting called “France Aquaculture.”
Located near Moulouya river estuary, on an area of 110 ha of land-based ponds,
SAM tried to culture shrimp in earthen ponds using juveniles produced in its local
hatchery. SAM’s shrimp production was very low, not exceeding 35 t in its first year
of production (1991) and decreasing year by year.
Since shrimp culture showed problems of competitiveness and profitability, SAM
attempted to use earthen ponds for marine fish culture, and it converted shrimp
hatchery to sea bass and sea bream fingerling production. This attempt was technically succeeded, and the obtained production reached 240 t, but due to several
reasons, it could not ensure the company’s sustainability. SAM was constrained to
cease its farming activities in 1997 and then went into bankruptcy in 2000 (FENIP
2010; Orbi et al. 2011; Nhhala 2018).
690
A. Ortega et al.