During a speech to the Council of Advisors in December 2025, the Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Ms. Zakia Driouch, reaffirmed Morocco's commitment to protecting coral reefs, which are pillars of marine and coastal biodiversity.

Red coral (Corallium rubrum), identified as a rare, slow-growing biological resource, is the subject of particular attention in the following areas:

• Regulation of exploitation: For 2025, activity is strictly limited to the Cap Spartel-Asilah-Larache area, with a quota capped at 985 kg.
• Scientific monitoring: The National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) is currently assessing coral beds in the Al Hoceima area (closed since 2010) in order to guide future management decisions.
• Habitat preservation: Implementation of fisheries management plans, creation of marine reserves, and sinking of artificial reefs to promote ecosystem restoration.
• International framework: Alignment with global standards, notably through the signing of the BBNJ treaty (2023), the Bern Convention, and the Protocol to the Barcelona Convention (AMP/BD).

This cautious approach aims to reconcile the economic value of this resource with the imperative of long-term conservation in order to strengthen the resilience of Morocco's marine ecosystems.