A major objective of Morocco is to expand and diversify its aquaculture activities in coastal villages in order to give a new boost to the “blue economy.”
In order to accomplish this objective, the North African Kingdom intends to benefit from Japan’s advanced knowledge of aquaculture and scientific research in this field.
Morocco’s fishing industry accounts for 2.84% of the country’s total exports, making it a major foreign exchange earner. The industry has played a significant role in the economy of the country for a long time. There are approximately 1,084,638 tons of fish caught in the kingdom, making it one of the largest fish markets in Africa.
The Moroccan aquaculture industry dates back to 1950 when the Oyster farming industry was launched in the Oualidia lagoon. On the Mediterranean coast, intensive farms were established in 1985 in Nador and M’diq. It was primarily focused on the production of European sea bass, Gilt-headed bream, and oysters.
There was an introduction of shrimp farming at Moulouya River 10 years later, while shellfish farming at Dakhla Bay began in 2000. During the period under review, the sector gained momentum thanks to the Halieutis plan, which was implemented to increase performance and production in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
Earlier in 2022, the EU launched a £250,000 project designed to significantly expand Morocco’s aquaculture industry and create 4,000 new jobs. The new project seeks to rectify the fact that Morocco had less than 2,000 tonnes of aquaculture output in that period despite having over 3,500 kilometers of coastline.
This time, however, Japan and Morocco have agreed upon a three-year program of cooperation, which will begin in 2023, as stipulated in the fisheries agreement signed between Morocco and Japan in September 1985. It has been over 40 years since Morocco and Japan cooperation in maritime fisheries began, focusing primarily on aquaculture research, training, and fishing village development.
Additionally, the two parties reached an agreement on a number of technical and financial provisions, as well as fishing modalities for Japanese vessels operating in Moroccan waters during the fiscal year of 2023.
During their meeting, the two parties discussed various existing cooperation projects in Morocco, including the “Souiria Kdima” project for a new generation of fishing villages, the aquaculture development project for blue growth in Morocco, and the appointment of a long-term Japanese expert.
Despite the delay in implementing projects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the two parties praised the level of cooperation in the fisheries sector. A memorandum of understanding was also signed on the sidelines of the meeting regarding the implementation of a development project for aquaculture in Morocco as part of Japanese technical cooperation.
Furthermore, the project aims to establish the foundations for small-scale aquaculture in Morocco, integrating scientific research, training, and development involving the National Institute for Halieutique, the National Agency for Aquaculture Development, and the Larache Institut de Technologies Maritime Fisheries.
In addition, they stressed the importance of establishing partnerships between private operators from both countries. They convened to encourage and promote such partnerships in the field of maritime fisheries and related activities.
Moroccan representatives stressed the importance of establishing a tripartite Moroccan-Japanese-African fisheries cooperation that will benefit all parties.
Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU
