In addition, the creation of a Marine Protected Area in Azeffoun aims to develop an environmental protection program that will protect the environment and ensure the survival and reproduction of coastal marine species in this rich area of the Mediterranean.

Illegal fishing and bad practices have, indeed, a harmful effect on the marine fauna and flora and jeopardize local sustainable development; in particular the future of the artisanal fishing professions. In addition, the association “Le Dauphin” is working to raise awareness of the importance of responsible fishing and a protected sea while aiming to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of Azeffoun.

For Hacene Hamdani, President of the Algerian network of artisanal fishing associations and Vice President of the Maghreb Platform of Artisanal Fishing, “artisanal fishermen hold ancestral knowledge, and it is essential that they are the main actors and those responsible for the management of marine resources”.

On the social side, the project helps to strengthen the communities of artisanal fishers and other local civil society actors, through the democratic participation of local communities; the project also aims to ensure real opportunities for the social and professional integration of coastal communities.

Hacene Hamdani adds, “The long-term ambition of the project is to ensure a healthy marine environment, which would increase the income of fishermen and their families, and make artisanal fishing a decent, diversified, environmentally friendly and adapted professional activity. Only in this way will future generations have the opportunity to continue to practice the profession of their parents and grandparents. »