Moroccan fossil trade

The Moroccan fossil trade is the large industry surrounding the excavation, preparation and international sale of fossils from Morocco. Morocco contains some of the world's richest fossil sites and has seen international interest from fossil collectors since the early 20th century. As interest in collecting fossils grew in the late 20th century, the Moroccan fossil trade grew into a lucrative industry of its own. More than 50,000 Moroccans earn their living in mining, trading or exporting fossils and the industry itself is worth more than $40 million annually. The booming industry is so big that some commentators have referred to it as "fossil capitalism" or a "trilobite economy".

The fossil industry has been the source of various concerns. Some commentators worry that the industrial-scale excavations and insufficient governmental regulations are damaging Morocco's paleontological heritage. The export of fossils from Morocco is technically illegal, though the relevant laws are often not sufficient, or not applied in practice. There are also concerns for the safety and welfare of the fossil diggers themselves, who are often paid very little (considerably less than exporters and middleman) and suffer through difficult working conditions. Scientific concerns have also been raised in that fossils may end up in the marketplace rather than available for scientific research, and that important fossils may be destroyed or neglected and lost due to being deemed to not be of commercial interest. The issue is made more complicated due to there not being any other jobs available for many of the fossil diggers themselves and the fossil industry ensures an income, however meager.

In addition to its economical impacts, Morocco's fossil trade has had some positive scientific impact. Many important scientific discoveries have been made based on Moroccan fossils. Without the markets and international trade network supporting the fossil diggers and preparators in Morocco, it is unlikely that as many new species would have been uncovered.

International interest in Moroccan fossils began in the early 20th century, with the French geologist Louis Gentil discovering trilobite fossils near Casablanca in 1916. Through the 20th century, local populations exploited Morocco's significant quantities of fossils by selling excavated specimens to collectors and tourists. The sale of fossils complemented the wages of local miners, and also provided a source of income for Moroccans in marginalized communities. Although the growth of the fossil market was slow at first, the industry grew rapidly in the late 1980s and early 1990s as fossil collecting became increasingly common, especially among young people. From the 2000s onwards, the Moroccan fossil trade has turned into a lucrative industry of its own. More than 50,000 Moroccans earned a living in the mineral and/or fossil mining and export trade, and the fossil industry is worth more than $40 million annually. A 2018 investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde uncovered that some Moroccan fossil exporters earn as much as $100 000 each year.

In some regions of Morocco, such as Tafilalt, there are few jobs outside of the fossil industry. The Moroccan fossil industry is so big that some, such as American geologist Douglas Shakel, have described the booming industry as a "trilobite economy". Some commentators, such as New York Times correspondent Lawrence Osborne in a 2000 article, have also used the term "fossil capitalism". Some mining businesses, such as the Moroccan company GSMC, combine traditional mining for raw materials, such as lead, copper and zinc, with the harvest and preparing of mineral and fossil specimens. The Moroccan fossil trade is a worldwide enterprise, with the largest importing market being the United States. Other large markets include Europe (particularly Germany), Australia and Japan. Most of the profit in the industry is earned by retailers and middleman, rather than the preppers and diggers in Morocco, who usually get paid very little. Economically, the industry does not only benefit Morocco, but also importers in Europe, America and Asia.

Moroccan fossils can only be collected and exported with a permit from the competent authorities. Specifically, Article 116 of the 2015 Mining Code provides that permits are required for the extraction, collection, and commercialisation of fossils, meteorites, and mineralogical specimens. An application decree adopted in 2019 further specifies the procedures relating to these permits. The export of fossils is governed by Decree 1308-94 of April 19, 1994 which makes the export of certain kinds of goods subject to an export permit. Palaeontological objects are included under customs nomenclature number 97.05.00. However, Moroccan laws do allow artisanal mining by locals, which is exploited by the fossil industry.^{[citation needed]} Moreover, Morocco is a party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (ratified on February 3, 2003) and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (ratified on August 3, 2022).

However, the laws are often insufficient or not applied in practice. According to a 2019 article by the organization ENACT Africa, it is possible that authorities are complicit, given the large amount of fossils that pass through Moroccan customs. There is little international regard for these legislations either, given that many Moroccan fossils can be traced to museums worldwide.

The existence of a large organized and technically illegal system could pose a threat to Morocco's development and security, as it points to loopholes in Morocco's export control, raising the possibility that other forms of trafficking may be occurring in the country. Additionally, the system also implies people in marginalized regions of the country being exploited, as the fossil diggers themselves typically earn very little compared to the exporters and middlemen. The issue is made more complicated given that many locals rely on the fossil trade to make a living, given the lack of other available jobs.