Seafarers aspire to unify the “professional book” to maintain the fortunes of traditional fishing

After the uproar over a proposal to give foreigners the opportunity to work in the marine fishing sector, professionals returned to raise another point related to the necessity of unifying the marine professional register in the Kingdom to include traditional, coastal, and high seas fishing, instead of two different professional registers, “B” and “D.”

This demand came within a correspondence sent by the National University of Fisheries in Morocco to the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests (fishing sector), after “complaints from traditional fishing professionals that the applicable booklet does not authorize them to work within the other two categories, although “Despite their seniority and professional experience.”

The union itself affirmed that “unifying the professional register would spare the category of those engaged in traditional fishing from a number of forms of exploitation and abuse by operators of traditional fishing boats and would enable sailors in this category to have the advantage of getting rid of work pressures,” before returning to pointing out that “this category is required in Coastal and high seas fishing, especially in activities related to sewing fishing nets.”

These new demands come after the uproar caused previously by the draft law regulating the marine professional register proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, especially in its fourth article, which stipulates the possibility of granting the professional register to foreigners. This was something that the sailors saw at the time as a “threat to their professional future,” before the Ministry returned and removed this possibility from the draft law itself.

Among what professionals are calling for in this context is “working to unify the professional registry for sailors, as this is specifically in the interest of traditional fishing professionals, as they have a desire to work in coastal fishing and the high seas, as they continue to have important competencies required by the owners of other fishing vessels.” Explaining that “traditional fishing professionals are rapidly integrating at the level of the other two types.”

Abdul Hamid Al-Siddiqi, Secretary General of the National Fisheries University, said, “What is required is to provide a marine register that includes the three types of professionals, instead of traditional fishing professionals having their own register; This is because unifying this professional notebook while maintaining the same basic conditions for entering the profession and the mandatory theoretical training in maritime safety will provide space for equal opportunities among professionals.”

Al-Siddiqi added, “The notebook must also be consistent with what the Maritime Organization stipulates regarding professional notebooks, as we look forward to unifying the notebooks B and D, which will help unify the government’s training programs and make them harmonious, as well as providing wide job options for traditional fishing professionals.”

The spokesman drew attention to the fact that “traditional boat professionals are known for their high efficiency and dedication to work, and this is mainly related to the conditions in which they work, which are difficult compared to the working conditions of other professionals, as unifying the aforementioned notebook will enable them to try their luck in coastal fishing and the high seas, and at that time experience will be the deciding factor.” The boat owners can decide on that.”

For his part, Fouad Boudina, a trade unionist in the fishing sector, said, “The demand for unification remains strong because it concerns an important segment of sailors who work mainly on traditional fishing boats and do not benefit from sailing at the level of the other two types of fishing: coastal and high seas.”

Boudina pointed out, in a statement to Hespress, that “the philosophy of the profession considers at its core that traditional fishing professionals are the most efficient and more professional than other types, given that they are still required to carry out important responsibilities, including sailing, installing equipment, setting nets, and searching for catches.” Therefore, they do not find difficulties in engaging in coastal and high-sea fishing, and the opposite is not true.”

The National Secretary of the National Marine Fishing Association stated that “traditional fishing professionals are currently required to have two years of service in order to obtain the professional register that authorizes them to work in the other two categories, or one year in some marinas, after undergoing some training in maritime safety,” concluding that “the need The urgency to unify the professional register stems from the fact that traditional fishing usually experiences periods of closure, which negatively affects the economic cycle for professionals.”