Moroccan sardine prices to stabilise via new measures: officials

The Regional Delegate for Maritime Fisheries in Layoune, Mohamed Nafaa, in a press statement, said that the Maritime Fisheries State Secretariat has implemented preventive measures to stabilise sardine prices at their usual levels, reported Fes News on January 26th.

In early January, the State Secretariat of Maritime Fisheries announced a halt to Morocco’s frozen sardine exports from February 1st in a move to protect domestic prices.

Rising prices were publicly criticised due to market hoarding and weak oversight, while the state secretariat has attributed it to demand and supply, weather conditions, and other logistical and operational issues.

The department’s measures include adopting the “Fish at a Reasonable Price” initiative, which will diversify the supply of seafood products, including sardines. As well as a measure to ban the use of whole, consumer-grade sardines in the production of fish oil, which will protect the domestic market and avoid added pressure on prices.

Mohamed Nafa reiterated that the rising prices of frozen sardines are due to climatic conditions and a “biological rest period” aimed at preserving marine resources from environmental and human pressures. While the biological rest period preserves the sustainability of fish stock, it also has market repercussions.

He explained that, as a result, supplies are limited to frozen sardine products and occasional fish catches when the weather is favourable. All these measures are based on recommendations from the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH), which relies on accurate data to monitor the biological status of stocks. 

Nafa also stressed the role of the port of Layoune, which is one of the national hubs for sardine supply, and lies in the disputed Western Sahara territory. It has 1,008 artisanal fishing boats, 350 coastal fishing vessels, and 52 fish processing units, making it central to Morocco’s fisheries sector.

While Morocco signed trade agreements with the European Union, the Polisario Front challenged the trade deals, arguing that they lacked the consent of the Sahrawi people to use the resources on their land.

In October 2025, the deal was then amended to specify labels from Dakhla and Layoune to differentiate them as products from Western Sahara.

But the European Parliament rejected the proposal to change product labels, with the resolution falling short by just one vote of being implemented. The trade agreement continues to be negotiated in the areas of agriculture and fisheries. 

The Polisario Front continues to challenge Morocco’s use of disputed territory for agricultural and fisheries exports. In 2025, the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA) said, “These grave environmental crimes cannot be separated from the policies of the Moroccan occupying power in Western Sahara, which plunders both land and sea resources, excluding the Sahrawi people — the legitimate owners of the land — from their natural right to exploit their wealth.”

While Morocco is the EU’s third-largest import partner for fisheries, reports suggest that the Moroccan fishing industry has been designed to serve foreign markets first, rather than prioritising local food security.

Fes News, Hespress, Maghrebi.org