Future of Smir wetland, northern Morocco (1 Viewer)

[Mohamed Amezian]

Hi,

This wetland was due to be developed (= total destruction of the Site in my sense) by a private company 3 years ago, but thanks to the real estate crisis and then economic crisis of the last 2 years the project was totally abandoned. Now, a government-owned company is developing the wetland, their project is much less destructive than the previous one but still not nature-friendly at all. They will transfer the wetland complex (brackish lagoon and fresh-water marshes) into the following:

- Ecoparc Smir: lots of management of the marshes (south and east of the current site), see the plan and information in the link below.

- “Laguna Smir project”: total destruction and transformation of the lagoon s.s. and its surroundings to “village lacustre” and golf courses. The western side of the site which already dried out will be built as well. The lagoon appears in the right and in blue in the plan below.

• Location and current situation of the wetland:http://wikimapia.org/#lat=35.7081198&lon=-5.3402138&z=14&l=0&m=b&search=Smir

• The future Ecoparc: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=60235181&postcount=7

 

[Jon Turner]

Sorry to hear this Mo, as I recall there isn't much similar habitat nearby so where will all your Reed Warblers go?

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

It is very unfortunate for the wetland and its wildlife. Indeed it was a very rich wetland despite its relatively small size; it was unique in the region. Not only the reed warblers that will face troubles but all others birds and wildlife. Just to remember that this wetland holds the only breeding population of the nominate subspecies of Spoonbill (Platalea l. leucorodia) in Africa, and many other waterbirds that are rare or localised regionally (WP or West Mediterranean..) or nationally. Even the heronry is outside the wetland near the royal residence, as you know, but the feeding habitat will be severely affected.

 

[dantheman]

It is incredibly sad to hear these kind of stories; countries want development (they have the right to catch up with the most developed countries in the west...?), but they do it at the expense of their natural heritage, and you really can't turn the clock back once it's lost.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

I agree Dan. There is plenty of land by the coast which is much poorer in biodiversity and also much bigger where they can build what ever they wanted: villas, hotels, golf courses. No, instead they choose the most vulnerable and the most important bit of land in the whole Tangier Peninsula to build on. That is really ridiculous.

Also, if we want really to catch up with the most developed world, we need to do a real development not to build “secondary houses with golf courses” that will be occupied only during 2 month a year at most. That is not really intelligent and many countries have experienced this before us and found it simply not working.

 

[Azamour]

Hello all,

It is very sad to hear that this wetland is facing a dark future. I remember how it was in early 1990 (before building the Smir barrage a few km upstream), it was as big as Lower Loukkos today, but since then it lost a lot of its area to urbanism and roads. I heard news about the development of this wetland by then a Spanish company in spring 2007, but a year or two later the project concealed (the company emerged with a Moroccan one and got into trouble because of the crisis), and I thought that they would never come again. But they did unfortunately.

thanks,

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

... it was as big as Lower Loukkos today, but since then it lost a lot of its area to urbanism and roads.

That’s what they are saying as well. They say that “Smir lost its biological and ecological importance, so let’s build on it”. The roads and the expansion of the nearby town of M’diq had only affected the area of Smir wetland (become smaller). The biological and ecological importance of the wetland has not changed however. Please refer to this website (http://medam.webs.com/) to see the scientific papers about Smir wetland (and its fauna, flora and habitats) during the last 12 years, then you can understand that “Smir lost its value” is not correct.

 

[Mohamed Amezian]

This wetland was due to be developed (= total destruction of the Site in my sense) by a private company 3 years ago, but thanks to the real estate crisis and then economic crisis of the last 2 years the project was totally abandoned. Now, a government-owned company is developing the wetland, their project is much less destructive than the previous one but still not nature-friendly at all.

The project was handed over again to another private company. Unlike the first two companies, this one went straightaway to the business. More information here and photos in this facebook page and in this blog post

 

[Jon Turner]

The project was handed over again to another private company. Unlike the first two companies, this one went straightaway to the business. More information here and photos in this facebook page and in this blog post

"So sustainable planning was incorporated into the design!" = Bollocks.

What that statement really means is we want to make as much money as possible...

Yours, pissed off Tonbridge Wells etc.

 

[Irish Kite]

"So sustainable planning was incorporated into the design!" = Bollocks.

What that statement really means is we want to make as much money as possible...

Yours, pissed off Tonbridge Wells etc.

It should be noted that Ritz-Carlton is a Western Brand ie. not Morrocan - their corporate "image" deserves a good kicking over this:C

 

[Piqa]

While Smir wetland still attractive to birds, the destructive machines of humans are destroying the site for ever. Now, several pairs of Glossy Ibis are breeding in the area, and Eurasian Spoonbill colonised the main marches from the nearby heronry. This along with many other interesting species known to breed there.
http://moroccanbirds.blogspot.com/2011/05/breeding-of-glossy-ibis-and-spoonbill.html

 

[skylark25]

This really made me sad!

Acrocephalus, I wish you all the best and hope for something to go wrong and the project is cancelled. Please do keep us updated

I agree with all you said! There is nothing wrong with developing your country, but at the expense of your own Biodiversity is sad, when you said yourself that there are other alternative areas where they can build on instead.

When you have money....who needs to give a hoot about our environment and birds??? Don't think its only happening in Moracco, the same is happening all over the world! My country Malta included....

Regards from Malta
Skylark25

 

[Piqa]

While Smir wetland still attractive to birds, the destructive machines of humans are destroying the site for ever. Now, several pairs of Glossy Ibis are breeding in the area, and Eurasian Spoonbill colonised the main marches from the nearby heronry. This along with many other interesting species known to breed there.
http://moroccanbirds.blogspot.com/2011/05/breeding-of-glossy-ibis-and-spoonbill.html

Amezian M., El Khamlichi R. & Elbanak A. (2012). Breeding of Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus in the mixed heronry adjacent to Smir marshes, northern Morocco. Alauda 80: 33-38.

In the following link, you can see Smir lagoon before 2004 (photo extracted from a report published in 2004), and in 2011/2012. Both photographs were taken from the same spot: the famous old White Stork nest (more than a decade old). Other photos include Grey Herons and Spoonbills (including a Dutch-ringed one) “relaxing” in the dumped lagoon, and bulldozer doing the usual work:
Smir Lagoon between yesterday and today.

 

[Irish Kite]

Amezian M., El Khamlichi R. & Elbanak A. (2012). Breeding of Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus in the mixed heronry adjacent to Smir marshes, northern Morocco. Alauda 80: 33-38.

In the following link, you can see Smir lagoon before 2004 (photo extracted from a report published in 2004), and in 2011/2012. Both photographs were taken from the same spot: the famous old White Stork nest (more than a decade old). Other photos include Grey Herons and Spoonbills (including a Dutch-ringed one) “relaxing” in the dumped lagoon, and bulldozer doing the usual work:
Smir Lagoon between yesterday and today.

Deeply depressing:-C

 

[Jon Turner]

Yup, as I recall, lots of Yellow Wagtails, Crested Larks and Zitting Cisticolas breeding in the scrub right across that very area and a few grazing camels.

 

[lashinala]

Wow, sad to watch. Another step towards homogenous culture too.