Sharp Decline in Tan-Tan Fish Landings: Industry Faces Uncertain Future

The fishing industry at Tan-Tan's port has encountered significant challenges, with the quantity of pelagic fish landings plummeting by a staggering 63% in the first half of the year, amounting to a mere 7,351 tonnes.

By the Numbers: A Grim Report

The National Office of Fisheries (ONP) released a report this week detailing a dramatic downturn in Morocco’s coastal and artisanal fishing industry. The report highlighted that fish landings at Tan-Tan's port had fallen by 48% by the end of June 2024, with total landings dropping to 14,890 tonnes from 28,567 tonnes during the same period in 2023.

This decline is reflected not only in volume but also in financial terms. The overall value of these landings saw a 24% decrease, falling to MAD 307.67 million ($31.4 million), down from MAD 404.27 million ($41.3 million) the previous year.

Pelagic Fish: A Severe Drop

Pelagic fish, a significant component of Tan-Tan's fishing industry, experienced a particularly harsh decline. The volume of pelagic fish landings dropped by 63% to 7,351 tonnes. Correspondingly, the financial value of these landings decreased by 57%, totaling MAD 39.89 million ($4.7 million), compared to MAD 92.37 million ($9.4 million) for 20,132 tonnes in the same period last year.

Other Species: Mixed Results

Whitefish landings at Tan-Tan's port also diminished, showing a 14% decrease to 5,136 tonnes, valued at MAD 106.87 million ($11 million). Similarly, mollusk landings fell by 4%, amounting to 2,282 tonnes with a financial value of MAD 155.75 million ($15.9 million), reflecting a 15% decrease.

In contrast, there was a silver lining for crustaceans, with landings increasing by 26% to 121 tonnes, valued at MAD 5.16 million ($527 million).

Nationwide Trends: Declines Across the Board

The downward trend at Tan-Tan is part of a broader national issue. Coastal and artisanal fish landings nationwide totaled 469,715 tonnes by the end of June 2024, marking a 10% decrease from the previous year. Financially, this represented a 4% decline, amounting to over MAD 4.8 billion ($490 million).

At the port of Laayoune, fish landings totaled 53,024 tonnes by the end of May 2024, showing a 46% decline compared to the same period last year. The market value of these catches also dipped by 17%, totaling over MAD 671.69 million ($68.7 million), down from MAD 808.49 million ($82.6 million) at the end of May 2023.

Overall, the value of coastal and artisanal fishing products in the first five months of 2024 decreased by 1%, totaling MAD 4.37 billion ($447 million). The weight of these products reached 392,692 tonnes, a 7% decline compared to the same period in 2023.

Species-Specific Declines

Breaking down the numbers by species, shellfish, seaweed, crustaceans, and pelagic fish experienced significant reductions. Shellfish landings fell by 77% to 21 tonnes, seaweed by 39% to 4,974 tonnes, crustaceans by 26% to 3,306 tonnes, and pelagic fish by 9% to 312,920 tonnes.

The steep declines in fish landings at Tan-Tan and other ports signify a challenging period for Morocco’s fishing industry. As the nation grapples with these downturns, stakeholders are eagerly awaiting strategies and measures that could help stabilize and rejuvenate this vital sector.