Madar (Rabat) - Morocco's minister delegate for maritime fisheries, Ahmed El Mahdi Mezouari, said sardine prices had "at times reached 30 dirhams per kilogram" because of speculation between the port and the fish market, speaking on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during the debate on the 2027 budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, according to Hespress.
He said he would work with Agriculture Minister Khalid Hatimi to tackle these problems firmly, citing food security and sovereignty, and that measures were being prepared to avoid fish shortages during Ramadan and keep prices reasonable.
The ministry is drafting a new strategy for 2027-2032 alongside an evaluation of the Halieutis strategy launched in 2009. It also plans a national dialogue on fisheries, the first since 1994, and upcoming decrees against illegal fishing.
For sailors paid by catch share, who lose income during biological rest periods, the ministry is coordinating with the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), and the 2027 programme includes a minimum wage for sailors based on a technical study.
According to the figures he gave, production reached 1.2 million tonnes last year and fell about 15% in 2025 compared with 2024, while export value dropped 8% to 26.6 billion dirhams. In the first nine months of 2026, landings rose 17%, with pelagic fish, especially sardines, up 85% and white fish down 18%.
