The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Forests has reported stock decline of sardines in Morocco with consequential price surge.
According to the ministry, the decline owes to heating open waters whose temperatures verge on 23ºC, above the 18º optimum.
This news is likely to affect prices, which by August had risen to 35 dirhams ($3.51) per kg at the landing point.
In normal times, the wholesale or dock price of these small pelagic fish is usually 15 dirhams ($1.50) a kg.
Although the exact market price is indeterminate at the time of the ministry’s report, fishermen indicate it is still high.
Indeed, in end November 2024, harvesters were decrying the shortage of the fish in the market and hence a pricey sale. The fishermen link the low market supplies to diversion to industry and the usual low stocks each November and December.
Scarcity of “the fish of the poor,”as sometimes Moroccans call sardines has attracted price-fixing intermediaries. These brokers from especially the southern shores sell their fish to factories to price detriment in fresh fish markets.
Factories are purchasing sardines at 9 dirhams ($0.90) a kg, while in normal cases they avail them at 4 dirhams ($0.40).
Foreign Fishing Vessels
Another cause of the price surge is the presence of foreign fishing vessels under permit from the government.
These include boats from Russia, which in end November 2024 were ploughing Morocco’s Atlantic coast targeting 10,000 tonnes of fish.
The 10K quota is quite low for in normal times Russia’s fleets access 140,000 tonnes of fish off the Atlantic coast.
Far-off Russia signed a fishing rights agreement with Morocco in 2020. Rabat’s expanding ties with other countries follows a fisheries dispute with the European Union.
In short, stock pressure, foreign fishing and industry needs are all making sardines in Morocco cost a fortune. And as far as the data below illustrates, sardines are perhaps the most important fish economically to the North African nation.
Sardines in Morocco Statistics
Sardines and other small fish of the open seas account for 80% of Morocco’s total fish production per year. Overall, the fisheries of the country gift the economy with 261,000 direct jobs annually. The sector also brings an annual export revenue of 31 billion dirhams ($23.17 billion).
What is the portion of sardines in the Moroccan fish industry?
Sardines represent about 62% of the overall fish harvest in Morocco. Sardines also make up 91% of the country’s total content of canned fish. Indeed, with production at 850,000 tonnes per year, Morocco sometimes supplies half of the world’s canned sardine.
How big are sardine exports from Morocco?
According to the World Bank, Morocco is the leading exporter of sardines globally. In 2019, Morocco’s shipments and trade value in frozen sardine, brisling or sprats hit 206,051 tonnes worth $18,696,562. Only China came near with a total value of $7,444,163. Morocco also leads world exports in prepared sardines totaling 129,544 tonnes worth $45,975,081, as of 2021.