Morocco determined to create its own value-added jobs from fisheries sector
Morocco, Economics, 4/8/1999

The Moroccan government is determined to make of the fisheries sector a sector generating jobs and wealth in the frame of the national economic and social development strategy.

The statement was made by Minister of Fisheries Thami Khyari at the opening of the first inter-professional meeting on maritime fisheries and related activities, held in the Moroccan northern city of Tangier.

Khyari also underlined the government's resolve to ensure a rational use of its sea resources and to adopt an integrated strategy aimed at increasing the sector's value added through restructuring the fishing fleet, upgrading infrastructure and processing units and through improving the competitiveness of Moroccan fisheries companies and quality and marketing policies.

Sea product exports have earned Morocco 7.4 billion dirhams (about $760 million) in 1998, recording a 10% increase compared to the previous year.

The performance was possible due to the increase of frozen goods exports which went up from 93,000 tons to nearly 120,000 tons. The volume of canned fish exports remained almost the same as in 1997 with 52,000 tons, while their value increased by about 10 percent thanks to the increase of canned sardines price on the European Union markets.

With national territorial waters extending over 1.2 million square kilometers and with a 3,500 km long sea coast, Morocco has huge sea resources and harbors over 840 fish species. In 1997, the sector posted a production of 782,000 tons worth 5 billion dirhams (about $500 million), and exports earned the country $700 million. The sector provides direct jobs to 400,000 persons, but Moroccan fisheries professionals argue that the sector can generate 100,000 new jobs over a period of three to five years if a national strategy is adopted.

In a bid to protect its depleting sea resources, Morocco has officially announced that it will not renew the Morocco-European Union four-year fishery accord, which expires in November 1999, and proposed that the two sides seek another partnership formula, promoting joint ventures in fisheries-related sectors such as shipyards, ships maintenance, and seafood processing, in addition to fish farming.

Under the accord, nearly 600 European trawlers, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, operate in Moroccan waters.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco and Australia initial commercial accord   (3/29/1999)
  Morocco will count on its own resources in Fisheries   (3/11/1999)
  Spain hopes Morocco will renew fisheries agreement with EU   (2/17/1999)

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