Mohamed Keznine

PhD Candidate, Université Abdelmalek Essaadi
My academic career began when I obtained my scientific baccalaureate in 2014, after which I joined the Higher Institute of Maritime Fisheries of Agadir, Morocco to follow my higher studies in the field of fishing, leading to me obtaining my professional fishing licence in 2017.

In 2019 I obtained a master's degree in marine environment and aquaculture at the Faculty of Science and Technology Tangier Morocco. Currently I am working on my doctoral thesis on the study of bycatch of the coastal fleet in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea, towards the award of a PhD in biology education.
I am also president of the association of young people of the sea for sustainable development in Al Hoceima, Morocco. This association works on raising fishermen's awareness of the need to conserve marine biodiversity.

I have published several articles on my research in international journals: a study of the bycatch of elasmobranchs which was published in the journal Thalassas: International Journal of Marine Sciences; a study of the interactions of bottlenose dolphins which was published in the African Journal of Marine Sciences; and a study of marine turtle bycatch which was published in the Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries.

Publications:
Impact of interactions between common bottlenose dolphins and purse-seiners in the Moroccan Mediterranean region: case study in the Al Hoceima fishing grounds
This study examines the effect of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus on the purse-seine fishery for small pelagic fishes in the Mediterranean Sea and the economic consequences thereof. The investigation focused on the fleet registered at the port of Al Hoceima, Morocco, and used information collected from on-board observations and a semi-structured questionnaire with fishermen and ship-owners. A total of 121 dolphins were captured as bycatch during 48 fishing trips, with a mortality rate of 0.23 dolphins per fishing trip. In terms of damage to the fishing gear, the number of observed holes varied between 28 and 230 per net per incident. Though some tears were large, most were <35 cm in height. The cost of repairing the holes in the nets caused by these interactions was estimated at US$179.52 per mending event. The level of interaction between common bottlenose dolphins and the purse-seine fishery targeting small pelagic fishes is a challenge for both fishery management and dolphin conservation.

Elasmobranch Bycatch in a Bottom Trawl Fishery at Al Hoceima Port in Morocco (Mediterranean Sea)
This study focused on identifying and estimating the number of rays and sharks caught incidentally in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea and their seasonal variation. In 2020, from 62 bottom trawl surveys, it was estimated that elasmobranchs represent 6.67% (25 kg) of the total catch (372 kg/trip) per trip in Al Hoceima Bay. Raja clavata and Scyliorhinus canicula were the most abundant species, representing between 27% and 21% of the total elasmobranchs captured, respectively, followed by Prionace glauca (19%) and Oxynotus centrina (13%). Single or sporadic captures of the threatened and protected Isurus oxyrinchus and Mobula mobular were further recorded, as well as of the endemic and threatened Raja radula. Elasmobranch bycatch rates vary with depth, season and fishing area. The current data indicate that the Moroccan Mediterranean may be an important breeding area for many elasmobranchs. They also emphasize the urgent necessity of better understanding the interactions between fisheries and elasmobranchs to develop management measures.

Preliminary data on bycatch and stranding of marine turtles in Al Hoceima, Morocco.
The area of Al Hoceima in Morocco occupies a strategic biological position concerning the trajectory of migratory species. Bycatch and standing data in this area are still lacking. However, knowledge of the number of stranded individuals/species and the bycatch rate/total catch for each fishing gear is crucial to adopting more effective conservation stratégies. Given this lack of information, monitoring of total standing and bycatch data was conducted from January To June 2021. Two different approaches were used in this study: on-board observation of longline, trawlers, and seiner vessels for bycatch rate and monitoring of the torture standing area through self- déclaration by sensitized fishermen. The results showed the existence of two species. Dermochelys Caracas (Vandelli, 1761) (1 individual) was stranded on Calabonita beach, and Caretta-Caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) was caught in longliners (two individuals) and trawlers (three individuals). No individuals were reported in purse seiners. For the first time, preliminary data on the bycatch and standing of tortures in Al Hoceima have been determined and this information is vital to implementing future conservation measures.

Concerning my professional career, in 2017 I was elevated to officer and lieutenant on board a freezer trawler in Morocco, in 2019-2023 I was a trainer at the Institute of Maritime Fisheries Technology in Al Hoceïma Morocco. I taught trainees who are future fishing bosses. Currently I am an administrative executive at the maritime fisheries delegation in Boujdour in the south of Morocco.