Dakhla: Thriving aquaculture and oyster farms in high demand

Thanks to its eight oyster farms, the Moroccan southern city of Dakhla has become the first site for the production of oysters  in the Kingdom, surpassing Oualidia, the city that was a pioneer in oyster breeding at the national level.

Thanks to the expansion of its breeding in Dakhla, oysters have today become an integral part of Moroccan local products. Dakhla Bay is conducive to the development of shellfish farming in general.

At the time of the Spanish occupation, the region was called el Rio del Oro, because it was very rich in fish and phytoplankton, the raw food material of oysters.

Pascale Lorcy, Oyster breeding specialist who’s work has been focused on Dakhla, explains in her website, “That’s why oysters grow fast, they are well fed! We preach so that the bay of Dakhla preserves its exceptional ecosystem, and that the various tourist projects which target it are designed in good intelligence within this environment.”

“In Dakhla, we have oysters within nine months, while in the French province of Itil and on the rest of Europe’s coasts, it takes two and a half to three years for the first batches of oysters to appear,” said Pascal Lorcy.

Lorcy explained that this phenomenon is due to the waters of Dakhla, which are rich in phytoplankton, a substance that oysters feed on and promote their growth. The expert pointed out that the Gulf of Dakhla is rich in fish thanks to its water level, which dates back to prehistoric times, adding that the water also contains little sulfur and its temperatures do not change much, as it ranges throughout the year between 17 and 23 degrees Celsius.

Lorcy, who discovered in 2001 the potential of Dakhla Bay in the field of oyster breeding, said that below 15 degrees Celsius and above 22 degrees Celsius, oysters stop growing, noting that all these factors contribute to the good development of oysters.

On the other hand, “Jeune Afrique” quoted Mohamed Anfdouak, head of workshops in the field of oyster breeding in France, as saying, “Here, there is almost no trace of industrialization, which makes the area suitable for oyster farming.” He added that Dakhla was classified as an “A” region, that is, it is in good ecological condition for aquaculture.

The French magazine referred to the high demand of Dakhla residents and its Moroccan and foreign visitors for oysters produced in the city, which are known for their high quality and exceptional taste.