World Tuna Day: The port of Dakhla alone provides more than 90% of landings

HIBAPRESS-RABAT

Increasingly present in the daily consumption and diet of Moroccans, tuna is a tasty fish that is enjoyed both fresh and canned. Far from being a local trend, the exponential consumption of tuna is a global phenomenon that threatens this coveted species. Celebrated on May 2, 2024, World Tuna Day (established in 2016) is intended to be a periodic reminder for countries that have this resource to help reverse the trend of its decline. Morocco, which is among these privileged countries, is therefore directly concerned by this food and ecological issue, since the country’s two maritime facades have experienced exploitation of this resource for several decades.

Thus, according to the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH), “in 2019, these species, tuna, were caught in the Atlantic by 122 longliners, 955 fishing boats, 35 purse seiners, 23 RSW (Senne Fishing Vessel). ) and 36 trawlers while in the Mediterranean, these species were caught by 44 seiners and 40 fishing boats.

The port of Dakhla alone provides more than 90% of the landings of these species. Furthermore, tropical tunas, notably bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and skipjack tuna, were mainly exploited on the Moroccan Atlantic coast by 101 longliners, 1 purse seiner and 187 fishing boats. A fishing activity which is considerable and which supplies an entire sector of marketing and processing of seafood products.