Morocco’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts have been placed under heightened alert since Thursday as severe weather conditions forced port closures, suspended fishing activity and prompted maritime authorities to impose strict precautionary measures to protect lives and vessels.
Maritime and fisheries delegations, alongside the National Ports Agency, ordered the closure of several fishing ports and the suspension of vessel movements after successive marine weather warnings forecast high waves and strong winds through the weekend.
An official notice issued by the Safi port authority ordered the closure of Safi city port from Thursday at 2 p.m., suspending all berthing and docking operations.
The decision followed warnings from the meteorological services under the Ministry of Equipment and Water, which forecast wave heights of up to six metres inside ports, with higher swells offshore.
Authorities also banned the entry of vessels failing to comply with safety instructions, citing risks to crews and equipment.
Similar precautionary measures were extended to ports along the Atlantic seaboard from Tangier to Agadir, as well as sections of the Mediterranean coast, including the Strait of Gibraltar.
Marine forecasts indicate strong to gale-force westerly winds from Friday afternoon, expected to persist until Sunday, further complicating navigation and berthing operations.
Professionals in the fishing sector said early warning systems and coordination mechanisms were activated to prevent accidents.
Alerts and official notices were circulated through port authorities, fisheries delegations and professional digital networks to ensure that skippers and crews were informed before heading to sea.
Abdelkader Touirbi, secretary-general of the National Union of Fishermen and Skippers, said the closures targeted ports whose entrances pose particular risks under current conditions.
He warned that wave heights could reach eight metres in some areas, following already recorded levels of four to six metres.
Touirbi said the situation was especially critical in Safi, where congestion inside the port basin raises the risk of vessel collisions. The port currently shelters more than 1,200 traditional fishing boats, in addition to coastal fishing vessels, he said.
Port authorities have urged vulnerable vessels to relocate to Safi’s export port, which offers greater space and protection.
Fishing activity has been effectively halted for nearly a week, with professionals expecting disruptions to last at least ten more days. While sardine vessels are in a biological rest period, Touirbi said the hardest impact is being felt by traditional fishermen and trawler crews whose work has stopped entirely.
He described the current storm as one of the most severe in decades, invoking the term “Temporada” used by Moroccan fishermen to describe prolonged weather events that drain livelihoods.
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