Moroccan News Agency
Morocco is the leading exporter of canned sardines, with 152,137 tonnes in 2022, i.e. a value of approximately 5.9 billion Moroccan Dirham, indicated Zakia Driouich, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests (Department of Maritime Fisheries).
“Because of its importance in terms of catches (64% of total catches), sardine fishing occupies a very important place in the activity of the maritime fishing sector in Morocco. Morocco also remains the leading exporter of canned sardines in the world with 152,137 T which represents nearly 5.9 billion Moroccan Dirham in 2022 according to data from “Morocco Foodex”, she said at the occasion of the 6th Halieutis Fair (01-05 February in Agadir).
The economic importance of the sardine fishing activity in Morocco is not limited to catches, argued Driouich, noting that it also extends to the processing activity, particularly in its main activities, namely canning, freezing and fresh.
This activity therefore plays an important role in the growth of Moroccan exports of seafood products, she noted, affirming that the diversity of the industrial fabric allows Morocco to occupy a leading position in world trade in fishery products, the world’s leading exporter of canned sardines.
In this sense, Driouich said that the Department of Maritime Fisheries has taken care to increase the level of supply of canning units, whether existing or new, in particular through the various calls for expressions of interest launched , noting that the possible difficulties in supplying this industry may relate to considerations linked to the repercussions of international crises (purchase price of raw materials, cost of fuel, etc.).
At the social level, this fishing activity generates several jobs, firstly at sea, in particular through a fleet of coastal seiners considered the most important in terms of number and jobs created, indicated the Secretary General of the Department of Fisheries. Maritime. Also on land, at canneries and other processing units where sardine processing is the most important activity.
And to continue: “Nevertheless, the development of the fishing activity of this species cannot be carried out without preserving this resource. Also, within the framework of the ‘Halieutis’ strategy in particular, its first axis of sustainability of the resource, a management plan for small pelagics, which mainly include sardines, has been in place since 2008 in order to protect these resources and thus enable sustainable fishing for operators”.
At the same time, Driouich indicated that the fisheries sector is exposed to several challenges, including climate change, overfishing, the repercussions of global crises (Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine), the sustainability of fisheries resources and the diversity biology of marine ecosystems.
In this context, the Department of Maritime Fisheries spares no effort to preserve fishery resources for future generations, in particular through the implementation of fishery management plans, the spatial planning of fisheries, the development of marine areas protected areas (MPAs) for fishing purposes and zoning, which constitute a crucial project for the future of the sector.
The latter, said Driouich, is more involved in the blue belt initiative and the sustainable development strategy for the fishing sector. And to support: “This initiative (blue belt) aims to make fisheries and aquaculture a major factor in sustainable and inclusive economic growth and aims to support the emergence of integrated coastal observation systems and promote their integration into the global level for increasingly sustainable fisheries”.
She also pointed out that rising energy costs are increasingly weighing on the profitability of fishing units, particularly in the least productive northern areas where vessels are forced to reduce fishing days.
Driouich also indicated that fishery products, whether fresh, frozen or processed, are exported to practically all continents, with a dominance of the European continent, noting that the diversification of export markets is l one of the major challenges of the sector.
The promotion of seafood products and innovation are other challenges that have been initiated but which deserve to be further explored, she added, noting that the Halieutis strategy, and in line with the sector policy, paves the way for new strategic directions and the search for new fruitful partnerships, particularly in terms of strengthening scientific research and technological innovation, the exchange of good practices and technology transfer, and the promotion of economic partnerships.
Furthermore, given the efforts made to protect and rationally manage fishery resources, promote scientific fisheries research, fight against illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing and the sustainable development of the aquaculture, Morocco has been distinguished by regional and international fisheries organizations, including recently the GFCM which awarded the Kingdom of morocco in 2022, the category 1 compliance award, for the second consecutive year in the same way as the EU and Turkey, recalled Driouich.
She also noted that this sector, despite the proven repercussions of the crises that have shaken the world recently, is one of the key sectors that have been able to show good resilience, indicating that during the period of the covid-19 crisis, this sector was able to maintain all of its activities by recording the lowest rate in terms of companies shutting down during confinement and the lowest rate in terms of companies having reduced their workforce.