The inaugural national and international “Surf Casting No Kill” fishing competition wrapped up Saturday in Dakhla.
The event was designed to enhance the cultural and sporting appeal of Morocco’s southern provinces and showcase the exceptional potential of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region.
The competition, which started on October 19, attracted fishermen from Moroccan cities, including Dakhla, Rabat, Tangier, Kenitra, and Mohammedia, along with professional anglers from Mauritania, Tunisia, Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Spain.
Moroccan Abdelaziz Lazrak won the award for the biggest fish, measuring 50 centimeters.
In the men’s category, Italy’s Zefferino Guidi took first place with 1,457 points and 32 fish caught, followed by Turkey’s Ergan Hasan Kursad, who scored 1,108 points with 26 fish. Moroccan Fathi Bouajaj secured third place with 1,034 points and 21 fish.
Morocco’s Maria Benjelloun secured the women’s top spot with 679 points and 15 fish, followed by Tunisia’s Inass Ajmi with 597 points and 14 fish. Greece’s Konstantinou Eirini finished third with 275 points.
The competition included two rounds from October 19 to 21, allowing top Moroccan sport fishermen to compete under optimal conditions and qualify for the international phase.
Beyond sports and environmental aspects, the competition also focused on social outreach by hosting a medical caravan on October 25 and 26, providing free consultations and specialized care.
The Oued Eddahab Provincial Tourism Council, Morocco’s phosphate giant OCP, the Moroccan Society for Tourism Engineering (SMIT), and Barid Al-Maghrib co-sponsored the event, enhancing Dakhla’s standing as a hub for eco-friendly sports tourism.