Morocco serves as a surf haven for Europeans, hosting some of the best surf on the entire Atlantic coast. The coastline is perfectly aligned to welcome long-range, North Atlantic swell as it swings in on a NW trajectory. There is a wealth of empty beachbreaks and points stretching into the Sahara, and the surf potential is world-class. A growing number of surf enthusiasts are traveling there to discover what the Moroccan coastline has to offer.
But surf tourism is not the only industry on the rise; in recent years international investors have also discovered Morocco’s potential and are starting to dip into large-scale tourism. Portions of Morocco’s once untouched coastline are slowly being filled in with mega-resorts. This unprecedented growth threatens to turn Morocco’s arid natural coastlines into unsustainable lush green golf courses, up-scale marinas and large-scale housing developments. Morocco is already plagued with a plethora of environmental hazards including raw-sewage pollution in the line-up, ex-war zones filled with land mines, and private developers denying access to coastal areas as well as building “protective” cement jetties over natural reefs.
Already two of Morocco’s famous surf breaks have been destroyed from new development. Doura, a right point break regional classic that breaks for up to 450 meters on a good day is now gone due to a jetty extension made to protect the main harbor in the city of Sale. And so is Plongeoire, Doura’s sister wave that used to spit out hollow and fast barreling lefts. Other waves in the area could soon suffer the same fate, leaving the once famous surf city of Rabat without surfing waves.
Plage des Nations, Kbier, Moune de Sale and Mulha are next on the list of destruction. Plage de Nations is a beach break 15KM from Rabat that rests as one of the last “pollution-free” spots in northern Morocco, but a major development including a marina threatens to permanently alter the beachbreak and pollute its surrounding areas.
A large-scale collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Morocco is what’s driving many of these drastic changes. Recently Sama Dubai, a Saudi Arabian multinational and Caisse de Depot et de Gestion, a Moroccan company along with SABR Management joined together to put the Moroccan capital, Rabat, on the map as one of the most important Mediterranean cities. This mega-project will transform over 100 hectares of deserted land into a tourist hot-spot featuring harbors, five star hotels, resorts, golf courses, and a convention center. The project will also include thousands of housing developments, office developments, shops, theaters, and malls.
While the project promises a significant economic boost for the country, local surfers and the coastal community fear the project will fail to account for the significant environmental impact it will cause. Part of that impact includes the coastal environment and surfing zones, which locals and experts say are not being adequately addressed.
Another project threatens to destroy Kbier, Moune de Sale and Mulha with a harbor armoring project that would burry these waves under massive concrete boulders. The beginning stages of this project already destroyed world famous waves Doura and Plongeoire. The project is funded by Sale’s municipality and according to local surfers, no environmental impact studies were released for this project.
To date, Moroccan surfers and local fishermen have had little say, and the developments threaten to permanently alter the coastal community, along with their lifestyle and culture.
So please help save Plage des Nations, Kbier, Moune de Sale and Mulha from destruction by signing our petition and letter. Let’s let the government of Morocco know the irreparable damage they are doing by burying these natural wonders to build costly marinas and mega-resorts.
Sources: Wannasurf.com, Stormrider Europe, Sama Dubai News Centre, L’économiste and images from surfaumaroc.com
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