The Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Zakia Driouich, said on Tuesday in the Chamber of Councilors, that the digitalization of the auction of seafood has so far concerned 45 wholesale markets, for a global investment of 34 million dirhams (MDH).
Speaking during the oral question session, Driouich said that this digitalization focused on all the documents used in these structures, in order to improve the transparency of commercial transactions.
As part of the strengthening of local market dynamics, the Secretary of State has recalled that since 2010, several measures have been implemented since 2010 to allow Morocco to have 70 wholesale markets located in ports, landing points and fishing villages.
It also reported the equipment of 14 new generation of ice factories, as well as the creation of 12 wholesale markets outside the ports, two of which are in progress.
In addition, Driouich noted that the creation of 8 local markets for retail is scheduled by 2027, with a financial contribution from the 30 MDH State Secretariat, of which 5 projects are currently being carried out.
-To organize the distribution circuits and guarantee the quality of fishery products, the government manager stressed that the use of plastic funds has been generalized in all ports and that the management units have been renewed, in addition to the establishment of 100 ice production units in ports and fishermen’s villages, and the distribution of isothermal funds to the artisanal fishing boats, for an investment of 93 MDH.
Regarding the organization of the profession, Driouich indicated that the activity of the mareyers has been supervised, and that certain provisions of law n ° 14.08 relating to the marsens are currently being revised, in order to fill the legal vacuum, to improve the distribution channels and to fight against illicit fishing.
At the same time, it threw the light on the initiative “hout b’taman maaqoul (fish at reasonable prices)” which was very successful during the month of Ramadan, with the marketing of more than 4,673 tonnes of frozen fish in 35 cities, against only 414 tonnes in 3 cities in 2019. In this sense, Driouich revealed that efforts are underway to extend this initiative throughout The year, in coordination with partners.
For the Secretary of State, the preservation of a lasting rhythm of landing of seafood, the average of which has been established at 1.4 million tonnes in the last decade, is the fruit of the joint efforts of all the actors, and the implementation of the structuring measures provided for in the framework of the “Halietis” strategy. She said that pelagic fish represent 84% of total national production.
