Toyota Tsusho to Deliver Morocco Marine Research Vessel in 2021

Toyota Tsusho Corporation, supported by CFAO, its subsidiary, has won a $44 million contract to supply Morocco an oceanographic and fishery research vessel.

The building of the research boat is expected to be completed in 2020 while delivery is scheduled for 2021. It will be built at the Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Tamano Shipyard in Japan.

The new research vessel is a project of Morocco’s National Institute of Fisheries Research. It will be used to conduct conventional surveys, study deep-sea marine organisms and environments.

Fishing is an important export industry in Morocco. About 170,000 persons are directly employed in this sector and a total of about 500,000 are indirectly employed.

Octopus, squid, tuna, and other fishery products are exported to Japan and other countries, but since the 2000s, catches have become unstable and long-term management of fishery resources has become an issue.

As a result, improvement and enhancement of fishery resource research is needed, and the aging of research vessels and a lack of research facilities have made the acquisition of a new vessel a necessity.

Toyota Tsusho Group has been involved in automotive, healthcare, and other industries in Morocco for many years.