A few days before the celebration of Eid al-Adha, fish prices are soaring to the great dismay of Moroccan consumers. Concerned by the situation, the deputy of the socialist group Moulay Mehdi Fatemi sent a written question to the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki.
The prices of sardines known as “poor people’s fish” now vary between 20 and 22 dirhams per kilogram. Enough to arouse the indignation of many citizens, in particular those with limited income, who find it difficult to obtain them as Eid al-Adha approaches. “The increase in the prices of sardines coincides with the increase in the purchase prices of mutton for the festival, increasing expenses and making the purchase of mutton for the festival in these economic conditions very difficult,” underlined MP Mehdi Fatemi in a written question addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests.
Read: The price of fish soars in Morocco
The elected official also indicated that “the increase in prices of certain other fish and seafood, notably sole, shrimp and squid, has been particularly significant in recent days. He then questioned Mohammed Sadiki on his ministry’s “plans” “to monitor and prevent speculation attributed to the rise in fish prices”, but also on “future plans to ensure the sustainability of fish resources in the country and provide them at competitive prices for citizens.” Also, he asked to “guarantee transparency in the determination of fish prices and to prevent monopolies in the fish market”.
To read: Morocco: very expensive sardine
On Wednesday, Mohammed Sadiki chaired a meeting at his ministry headquarters, during which discussions took place with the presidents of the kingdom’s fishing chambers on the scarcity of marine resources in several surface fish fisheries and ways to guarantee the sustainability of this resource, particularly in the south.
