Morocco joins UN-backed fisheries program as small pelagic stocks face pressure

MOROCCO – Morocco has joined the Global Marine Commodities 2, a five-year international initiative aimed at improving the sustainability and management of marine fisheries by strengthening governance, promoting responsible fishing practices and increasing the value of seafood products sourced from sustainable supply chains.

The program is coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme and financed by the Global Environment Facility, with Moroccan authorities announcing the country’s participation on March 10 through the State Secretariat for Maritime Fisheries. 

The initiative is already operating in countries including Mauritania, Senegal, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama. 

Its broader objective is to encourage governments and seafood industries to adopt environmental and social standards that improve traceability and accountability in marine commodity supply chains.

Technical guidance will be provided by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, an international organisation that works with governments and seafood companies to strengthen fisheries management and introduce transparency across supply networks.

Participating countries are expected to enhance monitoring of fishing activities, improve scientific data on marine resources and promote market incentives for products sourced through sustainable practices.

Focus on small pelagic fisheries

In Morocco, the program will focus on fisheries targeting small pelagic species such as sardines and anchovies. 

These species represent a cornerstone of the country’s fishing sector. 

They supply both domestic processors and export markets, including fishmeal and fish oil manufacturers that serve the global aquaculture and animal feed industries.

Authorities say the initiative will improve access to scientific data on fish populations and strengthen systems for monitoring fishing activity. 

The program also aims to increase collaboration among countries that share marine resources and encourage seafood consumption from supply chains that comply with sustainability guidelines.

The initiative arrives at a time when concerns are growing about the condition of Morocco’s fish stocks. 

Industry groups have reported declining catches in recent years, pointing to persistent challenges including illegal fishing and the capture of juvenile fish.

In June 2025, the National Union of Fish Canning Industries warned that sardine populations were shrinking. 

The group cited data from the National Fisheries Office, which showed sardine landings falling 46% over two years, from 965,000 tonnes in 2022 to 525,000 tonnes in 2024.

Industry representatives have attributed the decline to a combination of factors. 

These include the harvesting of immature fish, enforcement gaps in tackling illegal fishing and biological rest periods that some stakeholders say are not fully aligned with fish reproduction cycles.

Implications for feed and aquaculture supply chains

Morocco is one of the world’s largest producers of sardines and a major exporter of fishmeal and fish oil. 

These marine ingredients are widely used in aquaculture feeds for species such as salmon, shrimp and marine fish.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, small pelagic fisheries in North and West Africa supply a significant share of global fishmeal production. 

The region’s catches, therefore, play an important role in feed ingredient markets that support the rapid expansion of aquaculture worldwide.

Improving fisheries management in Morocco could help stabilise raw material supply for feed producers while supporting long-term sustainability goals across seafood and aquaculture value chains.

The GMC2 initiative is expected to run for five years. 

During that period, participating countries will test new management approaches and data systems to protect marine resources while maintaining the economic value generated by fisheries.

For Morocco, the program represents an attempt to balance the needs of a large seafood processing industry with increasing pressure to protect fish stocks that underpin both food security and feed supply chains across global markets.

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