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| Moroccan Society for Protection of Birds | |
|---|---|
| Name | Moroccan Society for Protection of Birds |
| Native name | Société Marocaine pour la Protection des Oiseaux |
| Formation | 1960s |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Rabat, Morocco |
| Region served | Morocco, Western Sahara |
| Leader title | President |
Moroccan Society for Protection of Birds is a Moroccan non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of avifauna and habitats across Morocco and the wider Maghreb. The society operates at the intersection of field ornithology, protected area management, environmental law and community-based conservation, engaging with regional institutions, international treaties and scientific networks. It contributes to biodiversity monitoring, site designation, species recovery and public education through collaborations with national agencies, universities and civil society groups.
The society emerged amid postcolonial environmental mobilization linked to conservation debates involving the IUCN, Ramsar Convention, BirdLife International, WWF, and regional initiatives such as the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds; early activists drew on models from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Société Nationale pour la Protection de la Nature. Founders included conservationists with ties to the Université Mohammed V, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, and international researchers associated with the American Bird Conservancy and the Linnaean Society of London. During the 1970s and 1980s the society worked on designating wetland sites under the Ramsar Convention and influencing protected area proposals for Souss-Massa National Park, Ifrane National Park, and coastal sites near Lagune de Khnifiss. In the 1990s and 2000s it expanded into migratory bird monitoring across flyways linked to the East Atlantic Flyway and participated in conferences hosted by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the African Union; partnerships were forged with the European Union, UNEP, and bilateral programs from the French Development Agency. Recent decades saw involvement in species recovery for critically endangered taxa, legal advocacy citing the Bern Convention, and cooperation with Moroccan ministries and the Haut-Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts.
The society's mission aligns with principles advanced by UNESCO biosphere reserve designations and the Convention on Migratory Species to protect birds, restore habitats, and foster sustainable use. Objectives include inventorying avian diversity with methods standardized by the International Ornithological Congress, advocating for site protection under national law and instruments like the Natura 2000 model, promoting habitat management used in Mediterranean Basin conservation, and supporting policy instruments in concert with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and the Secretariat of State in Charge of Water. It emphasizes threatened species prioritization following criteria of the IUCN Red List and engages with transboundary concerns involving Spain, Portugal, Algeria, and Mauritania.
The society is structured with a governing board, technical committees, regional coordinators and volunteer rangers linked to administrative regions such as Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, and Souss-Massa. Governance practices draw on NGO standards promoted by Transparency International and donor frameworks from the European Commission and the Global Environment Facility. Legal registration was processed under Moroccan civil statutes and coordinated with institutions including the Ministry of Interior and the Agence Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi et des Compétences. The leadership regularly convenes with conservation partners like the Society for Environmental Education and academic units at the Université Ibn Zohr.
Field programs operate across habitats such as the Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, and inland wetlands like Oued Massa and Merja Zerga. Priority activities include endangered raptor protection following techniques used in Montagu's harrier and Bonelli's eagle conservation projects, wetland restoration modeled on Salinas de Cádiz strategies, and community-managed reserves akin to initiatives in Parc National du Banc d'Arguin. The society runs ringing and banding operations in collaboration with laboratories at the Institut Scientifique de Rabat and participates in international censuses such as the European Bird Census Council and the International Waterbird Census. It engages in habitat restoration, invasive species control informed by case studies from the Canary Islands and captive-breeding programs inspired by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust methods.
Research outputs include atlases, species accounts, technical reports and peer-reviewed articles co-authored with researchers from Université Cadi Ayyad, Université Hassan II Ain Chock, CNESTEN, and international partners at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Barcelona, CNRS, Zoological Society of London, Smithsonian Institution, and Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. Monitoring protocols follow standards from the European Bird Monitoring Scheme and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility for data sharing. The society publishes annual reports, regional red lists aligned with the IUCN Regional Red List process, and participates in databases such as eBird and the African Bird Club records.
Outreach targets schools, youth clubs, and pastoral communities using curricula inspired by UNICEF education-for-development models and training modules from BirdLife International. Programs include guided birdwatching tours in collaboration with tourism stakeholders like the Moroccan National Tourist Office, teacher training with the Ministry of National Education, and citizen science initiatives linked to Cornell Lab of Ornithology platforms. Public campaigns have been held in major cities including Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fes, and Agadir and partner events with cultural institutions such as the Musée Mohammed VI.
Funding and partnerships include grants and technical support from multilateral donors like the World Bank, African Development Bank, bilateral agencies such as the Agence Française de Développement, foundations including the MacArthur Foundation and the Prince Bernhard Nature Fund, and corporate sponsorships aligned with private sector actors in the phosphate sector and sustainable tourism operators. International conservation networks include formal links with BirdLife International, regional cooperation with the Mediterranean Action Plan under the Barcelona Convention, and scientific exchange with institutions like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Natural History Museum, London.
Category:Ornithological organizations Category:Conservation in Morocco