Morocco
Location
Northwest corner of Africa
National websites
http://www.morocco.com
http://www.arab.net/morocco/morocco_contents.html
Embassy / Chancery in U.S.
Chancery of Morocco
1601 21st Street
NW Washington, D.C.  20009
Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation
 http://www.minenv.gov.ma/
Non-governmental organizations concerned with conservation  
Major Natural Resources The mining and processing of phosphate rock is the main industry that depends on the exploitation of the earth.  Morocco's agriculture consists of barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives, and livestock.  
Major Environmental and Conservation Issues Throughout Northern Africa, soil erosion from poor farming practices, such as farming marginal areas and overgrazing, and the destruction of natural vegetation is causing land degradation and serious desertification in Morocco.  The other major problem facing Morocco is the contamination of the water supply.  The dumping of raw sewage contaminates both freshwater and sea water and oil pollution dirties water in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.  The reservoirs of Morocco are suffering from siltation because of the increased runoff due to the soil erosion.  Morocco is also far below the global target of 10% of its land being protected.
Statistics Information Sources
Land area
446,300 sq km
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/mo.html
Area of forest
89,260 sq km
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/mo.html
Area of wetlands    
Area of territorial waters
250 sq km
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/mo.html
Population:
 29,114,497 (July 1998 est.)
Density:
 65.2 / Sq. km


http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/mo.html
Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels:
316,000 ha
Fraction of land area protected (%):
 0.7%
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs_afri.html
Major Protected Areas
List of Major Protected Areas 
Information Center for the Environment
Endemic Species
Mammals
4
Birds
0
Reptiles
11
Amphibians
1
Fish
 
Invertebrates
 
Plants
625
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/data_tbl/
(in the Biodiversity pdf table)
Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species
Mammals
23
Birds
10
Reptiles
3
Amphibians
0
Fish
0
Invertebrates
7
Plants
3

Complete Plant Listing

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants

Extinct Species
Mammals
1
Birds
0
Reptiles
0
Amphibians
0
Fish
0
Invertebrates
0
Plants
1

Complete Plant Listing

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants

Species listed on CITES Appendices



CITES-listed Species Database
Legislation
Laws protecting endangered or threatened species  
Laws protecting endangered ecosystems  
Signatory to CITES
January 14, 1976
Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention
October 20, 1980
Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity 
June 13, 1992
Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty
Not a member
Member of International Whaling Commission
Not a member
Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources
International Agreement for the Creation of an International Office for dealing with Contagious Diseases of Animals at Paris

Convention on the International Maritime Organization

Statutes of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (as amended)

Agreement for the Establishment of a General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

Convention for the Establishment of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation

International Plant Protection Convention

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil ,1954, as amended in 1962 and 1969

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

Agreement for the Establishment for Arab Centre for the Studies of Dry and Barren Land

African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

International Convention relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties

          Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in North-West Africa

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft

Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution

Protocol concerning Co-operation in Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Oil and other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

International Plant Protection Convention

Convention on fisheries cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean

International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa

Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean

Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds

Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972

Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area

Natural Resource Use Information Sources
Fisheries
1,812,000 metric tons of freshwater fish produced
620,629 tonnes of marine fish caught (wild catch & aquaculuter) (1993)
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs_afri.html
Forestry / deforestation
1,449,000 cubic meters of roundwood produced
99,000 cubic meters of paper produced (1993)
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs_afri.html
Ecotourism  
Trade in wildlife products  
Hunting  
Other uses of natural resources  
Human Impacts on Natural Resources Information Sources
Air pollution  
Water pollution Intense desertification and the implementation of poor farming practices causes an increase in runoff, which, in turn, causes the siltation levels of Moroccan reserviors and of the Mediterranean Sea and Altlantic Ocean around Morocco to rise.  
Development activities  
Introduced species  
Legislation addressing these issues  
Restoration and Reintroduction Information Sources
Programs for restoration of damaged habitat   
Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species  

Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World

Page compiled by Matt Hauske as part of a class project in h90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA