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Rabat – The Moroccan Competition Council announced on Thursday launching a formal investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices in the market for industrial sardine supply, following the detection of serious irregularities affecting fair competition.
In a press release issued by the Council’s Rapporteur General, the authority stated that it had acted on its own initiative, invoking powers granted by the Moroccan Constitution, Law No. 20-13 on the Council of Competition, and Law No. 104-12 on the freedom of pricing and competition. The Council’s role includes ensuring market regulation and safeguarding consumer interests.
The Council says its investigation has gathered substantial evidence suggesting the existence of collusive agreements among several players in the industrial sardine supply chain. These agreements, which may have spanned two decades, allegedly aimed to restrict market competition by manipulating prices and limiting production access.
The alleged violations involve concerted price-fixing for the initial sale of industrial sardines, which distorted market-driven pricing and led to artificial price fluctuations. Additionally, agreements to restrict or divide production limited access for new competitors and undermined fair competition.
As part of its procedures under Article 29 of Law No. 104-12, the Council has formally issued statements of objections to 15 professional organizations believed to be involved. These include shipowners, fish processing and value-addition units, as well as wholesalers active in the initial purchase of marine products.
The notification of grievances marks the beginning of a contradictory procedure, allowing the accused parties to exercise their right to defense. The Council emphasized that the issuance of these statements does not constitute a final decision. Only the Council’s governing body is authorized to rule on the validity of the charges, after a full review and a public hearing.
In February, Morocco’s social media was abuzz with controversy over soaring fish prices in local markets. The debate was sparked by a young man from Marrakech, Abdolilah, popularly known as Abdo, who launched an initiative to sell sardines at just MAD 5 ($0.50) per kilogram.
His action stood in stark contrast to the prevailing prices in coastal cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, and Agadir, where sardines were commonly sold for MAD 25 ($2.50) or more per kilo, despite their proximity to fishing zones.
