The Maritime Fisheries Sector of Morocco

Introduction

Thanks to its long history and involvement in the sea and the experience of its people, Morocco’s has created a special vocation in fishing, which is undeniable.

The maritime sector of the fishing industry directly employs more than 180,000 people, has an impact on the lives of about 2.5 million individuals and generates export sales of more than 13 billion Dirhams (US$1.5 billion). Thus the seafood industry occupies a dominant place in the economy of the country and contributes in a significant manner to the food security of the population.

Due to the diversity of the business the national fishing sector understands the needs of the fishing industry, development of products from the sea, aquaculture and all the ancillary industries.

Ocean fishery

The fishing activity generates an annual production of more of a million tons for a value of meadows of 8 billion Dirhams (US$934 million) and places the Morocco among the big fishing nations and into the first row of the African producers.

This production is assured by a diversified fleet, composed from 390 freezers vessels, 1800 coastal fishing boats and 16,000 hand-crafted fishing units.

Modern and highly specialized, the fishing freezer vessels are principally constituted vessels for catching cephalopods and shellfish. They generate sales of 3.4 billion Dirhams (US$ 400 million), which is more than 40% of the global sales of the fishing activities.

The fishing freezer export sales are strongly orientated to the Japanese and European markets.

Indicating a true maritime tradition, the coastal and hand-crafted fishing assure over 90% of the national production in volume, approximately 950,000 tons of landed fish. 80% of its landings are essentially of pelagic fish which are intended for the processors, mainly canned. The 20% remainder furnish the local market for domestic consumption through a network of of covered markets in all the harbours of the kingdom.

Industry Development

The transformation of the products from fishing is one of the major industries of Morocco. From very early times in Moroccan history there has been an exclusive approach towards exportation, and particularly towards the European markets where the preserves of Moroccan sardines obtained certain notoriety with the consumers. Very quickly a commercial network spread itself to the countries of Africa, America and Asia. Today the products of the Moroccan fishing industry are sold in over one hundred countries throughout the World.

Motivated by the trading, especially the exports of fishing products and its strong geographic privileged position, Morocco implemented a competitive development policy. Morocco sits in the head place for African producers and is proud to have been one of the first countries to recognise and plan such development.

The processing industry currently consists of 406 land processing plants and 390 vessels freezers and employs about 75, 000 people. This sector groups together fresh and frozen fish packaging, freezing, canning, semi-conserving, treatment of marine seaweeds, the manufacture of fish flour and oils, shellfish packaging, shrimp peeling, drying, smoked fish, marinated products, etc.

Principally oriented towards exports, the Moroccan fishing industry generates sales of more than 13 million Dirhams bound for the exacting markets of notably the European Union and Japan. These sales represents close to 50% of the food processing exports, 9% of the global exports of the Kingdom and close to 2.5% of the PIB.

This data confirms the position of Morocco as an essential platform of development as well as a robust exporter of seafood products and reinforces its leadership on certain fishery markets world-wide, notably:

• 1st producer and exporter of fishing products in the Arabic world and at the African level.
• 1^st world-wide exporter of preserved Sardina Pilchardus.
• 3^rd in the world-wide exporting of agar agar.

Aquaculture

Morocco is creating a unique aquaculture industry. With a production of about 1200 tons, composed principally fish and shellfish farming the industry specializes in the production of Wolf fish and Bream. Fish-farming operations are developed in M’diq and in the lagoon of Nador, in Mediterranean.

The shellfish farming rests on the hatcheries for oysters and clams in the lagoons of Oualidia, of Nador and of Dakhla.

Much effort is being made currently to specify the potential opportunities of the aquaculture sites available in order to diversify from other farm-raised species than that of the wolf fish and the bream. Promotion of farm-raised techniques offshore and improvement in the institutional environment is occurring in order to encourage investment.

Ancillary activities

A multitude of ancillary activities, such as vessel construction and repair, cold storage and fishing equipment along with linked fishing services complete the national fishing landscape.

Further Information

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