Morocco’s Office of the High Commissioner for Water, Forests and Desertification Control has taken number of measures to ensure this year’s hunting seasons flows smoothly, amid a significant growth in this sport at a national level.

Prior to the opening of this year’s hunt season announced last October 6, workshops providing information about hunting and others raising awareness at the local and the provincial levels have been organized since last month. The purpose is to remind the hunters of the current regulations, and establish an adequate environment for them through the control of hunting reserves and the fight against poaching and other illegal practices.

The High Commissioner for Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification Dr Abdeladim Lhafi organized a meeting with the association of tourist hunt organizers in order to pinpoint the measures that should be taken in order to develop this industry while keeping it ethical.

In the 2018-2019 season, the number of hunters increased by more than 49% compared to 10 years ago, amounting to 71,793 hunters. The booming tourist hunting is organized by a total of 51 organizers that cater for 2,220 tourists from different parts of the world and is practiced on an area of 717.228 hectares spread over 101 lots.

The lots leased for hunters have grown by 87% in the past 10 years, from 607 lots recorded during the 2008/2009 season to 1,034 lots last season. These lots now cover an area exceeding 3 million hectares. On the whole, the hunting sector generates a total of MAD 1 billion ( $103 billion). This number includes farmland royalty, the value of the investments and amenities made, as well as the revenues for hotels, restaurants, and guides.