Landings of coastal and artisanal fish at the port of Dakhla reached 94,518 tons as of the end of September 2024, a 9% increase over the same period last year, according to Morocco’s National Fisheries Office (ONP).
The market value of those landings (defined as the weight of fish unloaded at the dock) was MAD 731.96 million, an 18% increase over last year’s MAD 618.41 million over the same period.
By species, landings of pelagic fish grew the most. Such hauls increased by 25% to 78,029 tons as of the end of September, with a market value of MAD 458.45 million, a 49% surge compared to MAD 308.39 million and 62,549 tons during the same period last year.
In contrast, white fish landings dropped by 32%, totaling 16,251 tons, with a market value of MAD 235.84 million, a 7% decrease from MAD 254.69 million and 23,748 tons year-on-year.
Cephalopod catches declined sharply by 61%, reaching only 7 tons, with a market value of 576,000 dirhams, a 72% decrease from MAD 2.06 million and 19 tons in the same period of 2023.
Crustacean landings also declined. They dropped 35% to 230 tons with a market value of MAD 37.07 million, a 30% decrease from the 355 tons and MAD 53.24 million recorded at the end of September 2023.
On a national scale, landings of commercial coastal and artisanal fish products had reached 936,354 tons as of the end of September, representing a 2% increase compared to the previous year. The value of those landings rose by 8% to more than MAD 8.46 billion.