The fishing sector on the Moroccan Mediterranean coast displays diversified dynamics in 2024, with a slight drop in the volume of landings, offset by a significant increase in the economic value of catches. According to data from the National Fisheries Office (ONP), fishing landings in Moroccan ports in the Mediterranean recorded a 13% drop in volume at the end of July, compared to the same period of the previous year. However, in terms of value, these landings increased by 9%.
Specifically, coastal and artisanal fishing catches in these ports reached 9,474 tonnes at the end of July, which represents a significant drop compared to last year’s figures. As Les Inspirations Éco indicates, despite this drop in volume, the value of the catch amounted to approximately 454.15 million dirhams (42.21 million euros) during the first seven months of 2024, compared to 415.83 million recorded during the same period of 2023.
The breakdown by species shows that the landings of pelagic fish – those that live in open waters far from the bottom marine fish, such as sardines and horse mackerel – fell by 33% to reach 3,521 tonnes, with an estimated value of 101.63 million dirhams (9.45 million euros), a drop of 12% compared to 115.74 million dirhams and 5,282 tonnes until July 2023. On the other hand, landings of white fish fell to 1 497 tonnes, for a value of 61.28 million Dhs (5.70 million euros), a decrease of 2% compared to the previous year, when 62.42 million Dhs were recorded for 1,720 tonnes.
