Morocco’s coastal fishing sector faces slow start to 2025

MOROCCO – The Moroccan coastal and traditional fishing industry is reporting lower output in the first seven months of 2025, according to new figures from the National Office of Maritime Fishing.

The total market value of catches through the end of July reached US$682.51 million, which is 3 percent lower than the same period in 2024.

In terms of quantity, the downturn was sharper, with overall landings falling 16 percent to 523,765 tons.

Different product categories showed contrasting performances during the period.

Shellfish registered the strongest growth, with earnings climbing 309 percent compared to last year, while algae and white fish also posted gains of 24 percent and 12 percent respectively.

On the other hand, pelagic fish values dropped by 10 percent, and both mollusks and crustaceans recorded smaller decreases of 3 percent and 2 percent.

Volume trends reflect value changes

The weight of catches largely tracked the shifts in value across categories.

Shellfish landings rose 293 percent to 117 tons, while algae quantities increased 16 percent to 6,880 tons and white fish volumes went up 13 percent to 63,064 tons.

Pelagic species recorded the steepest decline in volume, falling 20 percent to 412,542 tons, while mollusk landings were down 16 percent to 36,986 tons and crustaceans fell 8 percent to 4,177 tons.

Regional variations emerge

The results differed between the Atlantic and Mediterranean fishing zones.

Mediterranean ports recorded a 1 percent rise in total landings to 9,624 tons, generating US$51.48 million in value, a 2 percent increase year-over-year.

By contrast, Atlantic ports, which account for most of Morocco’s catch, reported a 17 percent drop in volume to 514,141 tons and a 3 percent fall in value to US$631.38 million.

The contrasting results between the two coasts indicate that regional conditions are influencing landings and market activity.

The mixed picture shows that while smaller, higher-value categories such as shellfish are expanding, the decline in pelagic fish is weighing heavily on overall performance.

As a result, Morocco’s fishing industry is entering the second half of the year with persistent pressure on its largest segment, while growth in niche categories is providing only limited relief.

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