Rabat – Morocco’s landings of coastal and small-scale fisheries products have declined by 8% to hit 546,427 tons in the first half of 2020.
Morocco’s National Fisheries Office (ONP) reported that the market value of coastal and small-scale fishing products has also decreased by 16% to MAD 3.3 billion between January and June 2020.
However, Morocco’s landings of other fisheries products have increased.
ONP shared that the landings of shellfish registered a “spectacular increase” of 169%, totaling 647 tons in the first half of 2020.
Algae products also registered a 58% increase of 17.78 tons. Meanwhile, whitefish registered a 24% increase of 40.125 tons.
Landed crustaceans, pelagic fish, and cephalopods, however, have declined.
Crustaceans dropped by 33% to 1,580 tons, pelagic fish decreased by 11% to 457,603 tons, and cephalopods fell by 8% to 28,702 tons, ONP explained.
Morocco landed a total of 11,149 tons of coastal and small scale fishery products in Mediterranean port entrances between January and June. The data represents a 17% decrease compared to the first half of 2019.
The fisheries volumes landed in ports located along Morocco’s Atlantic coast also declined by 7% to 535,278 tons, ONP said.
Morocco’s government has been reassuring citizens that it will continue to supply markets with all necessary products, including agricultural and fishery goods, despite the COVID-19 crisis.
The government has been able to fulfill these vows, but the COVID-19 crisis has been undeniably hard on Morocco’s economy.
The Special Fund for the Management and Response to COVID-19 has assisted the country’s economy amid the deficit since King Mohammed VI ordered the fund’s creation in March.
Despite the fund’s intervention, Morocco’s government decided to amend the 2020 Finance Bill to effectively respond to the crisis and to save the sectors facing severe repercussions.
The country registered a budget deficit of $3 billion in the first half of this year.
