HIBAPRESS – Rabat
In the context of the ongoing debate about the rise in fish prices in national markets, Zakia Driouch, Secretary of State in charge of Fisheries, provided detailed clarifications during a session of oral questions in the House of Representatives today, Monday, in response to an oral question submitted by MP Ilham Essaki from the Authenticity and Modernity Party.
The Secretary of State affirmed that the government attaches utmost importance to supplying national markets with food products, especially fish, stressing that there is continuous coordination with various competent authorities in order to control prices and combat all forms of speculation and illegal practices that affect the purchasing power of citizens.
The government official explained that prices in the fish market are subject, by their nature, to the logic of supply and demand, considering that they remain "reasonable to some extent" in view of a number of objective factors, including climatic conditions that have affected the sardine stock, the increase in the cost of fishing trips, in addition to the expenses of the cooling, transport and distribution chain from wholesale markets to retail outlets, as well as the profit margins of intermediaries and sellers.
In this context, Tahraoui revealed that the decision to ban the export of frozen sardines starting from the first of next February would contribute to enhancing the supply of the national market and reducing price fluctuations, thus ensuring its stability at acceptable levels.
The Secretary of State also highlighted that the strategy adopted in the fisheries sector is based on ensuring the sustainability of marine fisheries, which enhances the abundance of fish resources, in addition to developing the infrastructure related to marketing, valuation, and revitalizing local markets. In this regard, she pointed out the availability of an infrastructure that includes 76 wholesale primary sale markets and fish sorting centers, 68 of which adopt digitalization in the auction, which enhances transparency in commercial transactions.
She added that these measures have contributed to injecting new dynamism into the internal market, by establishing markets for the second sale outside the ports, and launching programs to establish modern retail markets, in addition to preparing to launch a request for expression of interest concerning investment projects to create an organized network for the distribution of frozen fish products.
Tahraoui concluded her answer by emphasizing that the government continues to monitor the situation of the national markets and take the necessary measures to ensure a balance between protecting marine resources, stabilizing prices, and guaranteeing the citizen's right to access an available fish product at reasonable prices.
