MOROCCO

Morocco's wide-reaching agricultural reform drive has been extended to the fishing industry. At the end of September, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Maritime Fishing unveiled Plan Halieutis, a series of development projects and targets for the fishing sector's expansion and modernisation.

Long an economic pillar for Morocco, the fishing industry is a leading foreign exchange earner, accounting for 56% of agricultural and 16% of total exports. Plan Halieutis aims to increase exports from DH8.3bn (€729m) in 2007 to DH21.9bn (€1.9bn) by 2020. In the same time period, the sector's contribution to GDP is expected to rise from DH16.2bn (€1.4bn) to DH23.9bn (€2bn). Direct jobs in the fishing industry, a key employer, are also anticipated to nearly double, rising from 61,650 to 115,000.

Under Plan Halieutis, the government will invest DH9bn (€790m) to create "industry clusters" in Tangier as well as the southern ports of Agadir and Laayoune-Dakhla. Speaking at the launch of the plan in Agadir, the agriculture minister, Aziz Akhannouch, noted that the three clusters were bringing about "a new orientation in the sector, which spurs the development of the regions managing the clusters, reinforces the competitiveness of Morocco at the international level, and fosters new work habits".

A vital component of the reform strategy is developing aquaculture to solve the problem of overfishing. Until now, aquaculture has been limited – in 2008 output was 4800 tonnes, generating DH24m (€2.1m) in revenue. Plan Halieutis paves the way for the creation of a National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture, a seafood promotion centre, and a fisheries employment observatory. In 2010 an aquaculture facility will be launched at Ras El Ma to produce 40,000 crayfish a year.

Within the framework of Plan Halieutis, the construction of a DH6.6bn (€580bn) fisheries zone, Heliopolis, began at the beginning of October. Capable of processing 500,000 tonnes of fish, the complex will create 20,000 direct jobs in the fishing industry.

Morocco has initiated a number of sector reforms in recent years, including the Plan Azur for tourism and the emergency plan for education. With the Plan Maroc Vert, a long-term development strategy put into effect in April 2008, the government sought to turn the agricultural sector into a motor of economic growth. Though the fishing industry was not included in Plan Vert, the National Fisheries Agency (Office National des Pêches) has been conducting a modernisation campaign since 2008, constructing wholesale fish markets and upgrading facilities, while expanding production further south, including the stretch of coast between Tan-Tan and Dakhla.

Athough the country has 3000 km of coastline, fishing production has traditionally been concentrated on the northern ports. "With fishing resources in the north suffering from over-exploitation, the main reserves are now located in the south, particularly for blue fish such as sardine and octopus," Najib Chaoui, the director of the National Fish Processing Industry Federation (Fédération Nationale des Industries de Transformation et de Valorisation des Produits de la Pêche), told OBG.

The continent's top fish producer, Morocco saw a 15% increase in yield between 2007 and 2008, reaching 943,000m tonnes. Output value amounted to Dh4.5bn (€395m) in 2008, a 22% annual increase. According to Majid El Ghaïb, the general director of the National Fisheries Agency, "This increase can mainly be attributed to the modernisation of the fishing fleet, as well as the hike in sardine production at the ports of Laayoune and Tan-Tan, and growth in octopus production at the ports of Laayoune and Dakhla." Depletion of tuna reserves (163 tonnes were caught in 2008 compared to 740 tonnes in 2006) led the industry to diversify to include high-value fish, such as octopus and shrimp.

While neighbouring Senegal and Mauritania are competitors in fresh fish exports, Morocco dominates in the canned fish segment, with sardines comprising 90% of canned exports. The EU is the country's top market, receiving 73% of production, though North America and the Middle East are also being targeted. As Morocco currently exports 90% of its production, Plan Halieutis also seeks to increase domestic fish consumption from 10 kg per person per year to 16 kg.

In addition to boosting production, the new plan envisages several regulatory changes, such as clarifying the fishing industry's legal framework. Five new regulatory bodies will be established, including the National Committee for Fisheries to monitor and set policies for fisheries and the Fishing Adjustment and Modernisation Fund to restructure Morocco's fishing fleet.

Global Arab Network