Seafood is a rich  source in proteins, lipides and minerals.

The fishing economy represents an important resource for more than 3 million Moroccan citizens.

The Marine Fisheries Department plays an important and strategic role in fisheries management and the regulation of marine fishing activities, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of fisheries resources, ensuring the stability of marine environments, and to attract investment in the maritime fishing sector and related activities.

The Fisheries Activities Control Department at the FD is responsible for monitoring and control in order to implement the law regulating the protection of fisheries against depletion due to overfishing or illegal unauthorized IUU fishing.

Other services belonging to other sectors and endowed with legal quality are responsible, within the framework of joint tasks, for carrying out operations to combat illegal practices and destructive behavior in fishing.

At the same time, civil society plays an important role in supporting and operationalizing sector strategies, government programs and plans aimed at promoting community development through partnerships with the public and private sectors.

Despite the legal mechanisms and human resources devoted to monitoring and enforcing laws to protect fisheries, while taking into account the limited capacities, the expansion of marketing areas and networks and the high demand on fishery products, significant quantities of fisheries resources from illegal fishing infiltrate the markets and find a place on the consumer’s table.

Fisheries protection starts with the consumer

 “The protection of fisheries wealth begins with the consumer”, it is under this slogan that Maroc Bleu launches, in partnership and in cooperation with the fishing sector under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, of Waters and Forests, ATLAFCO (Ministerial Conference for Cooperation in the Field of Fisheries of African Countries of the Atlantic Ocean), stakeholders in maritime fishing and fishing industries, and the Media Observatory for sustainable fishing in Africa (OMPDA)), its national campaign against the marketing of seafood products that do not respect the authorized commercial volume (juvenile).

This initiative supports the efforts of the maritime fishing sector in the protection of fishery resources and the sustainability of fishing activities. It also intervenes to bridge the communication gap and involve the consumer in the protection of fishing as a tangible national heritage.

This initiative targets all social categories and all age groups and seeks to cover the entire national territory.

Maroc Bleu

First actor specialized in media and communication in the maritime field in Morocco.

Since its creation in 2012, it has been working on the launch of qualitative citizen initiatives in partnership with the FD, professional chambers, civil organizations and maritime fishing operators.

 These initiatives aim to publicize and promote the maritime domain, to develop awareness of the importance of the sea and to initiate a marine culture based on the protection of the marine environment and the sustainability of the economic activities associated with it.

Important figures.

– According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the number of species recorded in the exclusive economic zone of the Kingdom of Morocco is 500, of which only 65 species are exploited.

– Morocco covers a coastal strip estimated at 3500 km.

– On the coasts of the Kingdom, there are approximately 22 fishing ports, 44 equipped landing points, two under construction, and 62 wholesale markets.

– The maritime fishing sector recorded, at the end of last year, the production of 1.3 million tons of fish catches, with an estimated value of 13.2 million dirhams, registering a decrease in volume of 1% compared to the previous year and an increase in value of 24%. Exports reached 69,000 tons in volume, for a value of 22 million dirhams, a decrease of 4% compared to the previous year in volume, and an increase in value of 15%.

    – The National Maritime Fishing Fleet is made up of:

      457 offshore fishing vessels, 2,536 coastal fishing vessels and 17,278 small-scale fishing boats.

      – The industrial fabric of fishing in Morocco is made up of 450 units divided between: 235 canneries, 194 freezing units and 21 units manufacturing flour and fish oil.

– The fishing economy is also an important resource for more than 3 million Moroccan citizens: 90,000 sailors, 180,000 direct jobs and 450,000 indirect jobs.

– Thanks to the law against illegal, undeclared and unauthorized fishing, Morocco controls 95% of its marine resources.