Brussels, 23/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - Morocco is focusing on the development of its aquaculture targeting both European and global markets, and in particular the Russian and Japanese markets which are already outlets for its exports of seafood products. This was confirmed during the 2015 edition of its Halieutis trade fair in Agadir on 18-22 February, which was attended by European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella. A companion (twinning) agreement for the sector's national development programme was signed with the EU. “Moroccan sea fishing generates annual production of over a million tonnes, thus placing the Kingdom of Morocco in the front line of African producers and in the 25th line on the global level”, those who organised Halieutis stated.
Morocco, which is a large exporter of fisheries products and which has signed an access agreement to its resources with the EU, intends to develop this sector by way of a staggered development programme until 2020 - 82% of which has reportedly already been achieved, according to Morocco's minister for agriculture and fisheries, Aziz Akhannouch. The minister told French news agency AFP that the European market for aquaculture products is “promising”, depending on “the improvement of the eurozone” - for which he expects “an increase in exports [from Morocco] of 25% in value”. Apart from Europe, “the outlook for progress in international demand for fisheries products is particularly encouraging following the international economic recovery”. Morocco “is increasingly developing as a gateway for Africa, especially through strengthened cooperation and exchanges with the other countries of the African continent”, he said in Rabat. Special action was taken towards other African countries during the course of the 2015 edition of Halieutis in order to build structured relationships.
The sectoral development of aquaculture was part of a more general programme that aims to preserve resources, plus an update programme at the level of infrastructure and the fleet, with the objective of greater economic profitability for the sector. “Its contribution to GDP is around 2.3% on average over the last ten years”. Fisheries also counts on the social level: “the fisheries sector generates over 170,000 direct jobs and nearly 500,000 indirect jobs”, the Moroccan authorities state (our translation throughout). (Fathi B'Chir)