A delegation of about 10 national companies represented Morocco at this year’s Seafood Expo North America and all had the aim of marketing the country’s range of seafood products, including canned fish, semi-perishable products, fresh products and frozen fish.
During the show, all Moroccan products are branded specifically under “Moroccan Seafood,” which serves as a common baseline labeling aimed at improving the exposure of Moroccan products in the American market.
The strategy at this year’s Expo is part of the country’s “Halieutis Plan,” which has the goal of broadening Morocco’s competitive edge. Since 2009, the country has been applying a strategy of development dedicated exclusively to its national fishing sector.
The Plan is intended to poise Morocco’s fishing sector as a market niche for the economic development of the country. The plan is also intended to sustainably manage Morocco’s halieutic wealth, with the end goal of reaching 3.1 billion USD in export of Morroccon seafood products and to raise threefold the GDP of the sector before 2020.
The country is hoping to canvass new opportunities at this year’s show, including diversifying its economic partnerships. The fishing resources of the country are strong, with about 3,500 km of seashore. The fishing sector in Morocco is seen as an area of growth for the socioeconomic development of the country and contributes up to 2.5 percent in the national GDP. The sector employs approximately 170,000 people, all while generating 490,000 indirect jobs.
