Raising the awareness of fishing professionals about the conservation of species caught incidentally in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether raising the awareness of the fishermen in the conservation of bycatch species in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea is effective. A total of 300 people were surveyed and trained in the course of the study, which provided data comparing the actions of fishermen and skippers before and after the participatory activities. The results of the survey revealed that 76% of those questioned were unfamiliar with proper release techniques for vulnerable species, demonstrating the importance of raising awareness among these participants in order to improve their knowledge. Raising the awareness of the fishermen led to a change in behavior and recognition of the importance of conserving threatened species. Raising the awareness of trainees from the maritime training establishment, who will be the future fishing skippers, offers an effective strategy for passing on information across generations for species management and creating a science-based working environment for fisherman.