Morocco Protectorate

Morocco Protectorate

The nature reserves in Morocco, with their abundant plants or animals on land and at sea, constitute a rich biological heritage, and an essential basis for maintaining natural and environmental balance and achieving sustainable development.
These reserves contribute in Morocco, as in most countries of the world, as an ecological unit that works to preserve plant and animal wildlife, according to a harmonized framework, in limiting the depletion of resources and natural habitats, in a manner that preserves the biological diversity necessary for the continuation of life.
Aware of the importance of these environmental units, and the risks associated with desertification and land degradation, and in response to the measures contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity and other conventions ratified by Morocco, the Kingdom has completed a national study on protected areas, of interest to all natural ecosystems, to assess the main natural habitats, the status of threatened and rare animals and plant species, within the framework of a management plan dating back to 1996, and proposals for the management patterns of biological and environmental sites.

Most of these protectorates have become popular as famous tourist destinations where lovers of nature come to see the unique scenery and enjoy the great outdoors.
The protectorates are also a habitat for many endangered species of plants and animals such as:

Merja Zerga National Park

The 70-square-kilometer national park (4 square kilometers of water, the rest marshland) is south of the town and named after the Merja Zerga (Blue Lagoon). Migrant birds flock here in spring and autumn, including flamingos, making it one of Morocco's top birdwatching locales as well as North Africa's most significant wetland ecosystems.
You will likely see herons, ibises, spoonbills, plovers, egrets, and many other species during your visit. Slender-billed and Audouin's gulls are regular visitors, as are shelducks, teals, terns, marsh harriers, and peregrine falcons.
The lagoon ranges from 50cm to 4m deep, with water from the sea and the Driver River contributing 10% of the water, south of the lagoon.

Al Hoceima National Park

The mixture of pine trees and salty sea scents leads you along a craggy shoreline. Al Hoceima National Park, a 180-square-kilometer area on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, is an underappreciated destination that combines both land and water.
The latest Al Hoceima Park has an area of ​​48 thousand hectares in the northern countryside, which is characterized by the presence of 110 plant species, in addition to 19 hectares in the marine area, which embraces many types of fish, then the Akhnifes National Park, which was established in 2006 on the Atlantic coast between Tan-Tan and Tarfaya 
The park is home to various species of wildlife, majestic canyons, secluded beaches, and pine forests. In addition to dirt roads and footpaths, there are small Berber villages.

Toubkal National Park

Toubkal National Park provides a wide range of things to see and do for visitors. During the spring, mount peak provides gorgeous flowery vistas, and during the winter, the cedar and juniper forests are vibrant with color. Imlil, a mountain village, is a wonderful location to experience local life. The ecomuseum of the Toubkal National Park tells the park's history and describes its ongoing efforts to safeguard endangered animals.
The first park in Morocco was established in 1942 and extends over an area of ​​38 thousand hectares, then the Tazka Park in the province of Taza, updated in 1950 and extending over an area of ​​more than 13 thousand hectares, where it includes 600 plant species, the most important of which are the Atlas cedar and 30 species of mammals, as well as the Souss Massa National Park between Agadir and Tiznit with an area of ​​​​38 thousand hectares, of which 12,350 hectares are protected areas by the forest king, and 21,450 hectares are areas for traditional exploitation of the lands of the masses and the private, which was officially protected as a national park in 1991.