Casablanca: Foul Odors Linked to Livestock Ships at Port
Foul odors have spread through several Casablanca neighborhoods since Friday; authorities are investigating livestock ships from Brazil and Paraguay docked at the port, in coordination with ONSSA.
Foul, suffocating odors have been spreading through several neighborhoods of Casablanca since Friday, 6 November 2026, reaching inside homes and alarming residents, according to Le Matin. The Bourgogne and Belvédère districts are among the affected areas, while residents of the old medina in Morocco's economic capital describe strong, persistent smells disrupting their daily life, which they link to the port, according to Hespress.
Livestock ships at the center of suspicion
The most likely cause is ships carrying cattle and other livestock, notably from Brazil and Paraguay, docking at the Port of Casablanca, according to a responsible source at Casablanca's municipal council cited by Le360. These ships can remain at sea for weeks, and in some cases more than a month and a half, before their cargo is unloaded. The crowding of animals during this long voyage generates large amounts of waste and manure mixed with feed odors, and the smell intensifies when the ships reach port and are unloaded, especially when unloading coincides with winds carrying the odors toward nearby neighborhoods.
What are the authorities saying?
Regional authorities in Casablanca-Settat, on instructions from the region's wali, Mohamed Amhidiya, are conducting field investigations in coordination with the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) to determine the nature and source of the odors, according to Hespress. Casablanca municipal council's deputy chairman, Moulay Ahmed Afilal, who visited the port himself, said the council has opened an inquiry into the conditions for receiving and storing imported livestock at the port and the sanitary measures in place, without ruling out that the odors come from waste left by imported calves and cattle. According to Le Matin, local authorities have set up a committee to monitor the situation, and livestock continues to be unloaded from the ships to empty them and reduce the odors.
What do international standards require of livestock ships?
Recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH/OMSA) state that livestock transport ships should be capable of thorough cleaning and disinfection, with regular removal of feces and urine, and effective ventilation even while docked, to clear harmful gases such as ammonia during loading and transport, Le Matin reports. Compliance with these standards by shipping companies is among the points the ongoing investigations are examining.
As of this report, the authorities concerned have not yet announced the results of their field investigations or set a specific timeline for releasing them, as Casablanca residents hope for a quick solution to a problem that recurs each time livestock ships dock at the port.