Overseas
Morocco has 244 active aquaculture projects with a combined target production capacity of nearly 90,000 tonnes a year. This does not mean that the country is already producing that volume. The decisive step will be to bring farms to commercial scale and complete the value chain, from a reliable supply of aquaculture seed to packing, processing and marketing.
Morocco no longer has to prove that it can attract aquaculture projects. It now has to prove that it can bring them to commercial scale.
That is the central industrial and policy message emerging from the 27th session of the Board of Directors of the National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture, held in Rabat on 14 July 2026 under the chairmanship of Zakia Driouich, Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries. The meeting reviewed ANDA’s performance in 2025 and assessed progress on the main structural measures intended to strengthen the sector.
According to ANDA, Morocco now has 244 active aquaculture projects representing target production capacity of nearly 90,000 tonnes a year. The Agency sees this expansion as evidence of growing investor confidence and of the effectiveness of public support measures.
The figure is significant, but it must be read for what it actually measures: the potential scale of the projects, not the volume of seafood already harvested and sold.
Projects are growing, but 90,000 tonnes are not yet on the market
The distinction between production capacity and actual output is the central issue.
ANDA’s statement explicitly refers to target capacity. It does not provide the volume actually produced in 2025, the average utilisation rate of the farms, a breakdown by species or the commercial value generated. It would therefore be inaccurate to claim that Morocco is already producing 90,000 tonnes of aquaculture products each year.
Between a project classified as active and a product supplied consistently to the market lie several critical steps: the availability of juveniles and seed stock, feed supply, fish-health management, technical expertise, environmental conditions, grow-out times, logistics and commercial capability.
The increase in project numbers shows that Morocco has succeeded in mobilising investment. Harvest and sales data will show how much of that target capacity has actually been converted into production.
The change is nevertheless substantial. In 2018, Pesceinrete described Moroccan aquaculture as a largely underused opportunity, with a very limited production base when compared with the length of the country’s coastline and its national ambitions.
Today’s industry is considerably larger and more structured. Yet the gap between target capacity and commercial output remains the most important indicator to watch.
Comparisons with 2025 require caution
At its 25th Board meeting in July 2025, ANDA reported 183 installed projects, described as operational, targeting annual production of approximately 71,000 tonnes. A further 64 projects were acquiring equipment before installation, with additional target capacity of around 16,000 tonnes a year.
The new total of 244 active projects indicates that the project portfolio has advanced, but it cannot simply be compared through subtraction. The categories used in the two statements — installed, operational, under equipment procurement and active — are not perfectly interchangeable. Some projects may also have entered or left the portfolio, or moved from one status to another.
The comparison confirms growth, but it does not reveal exactly how many additional farms have reached full commercial production.
The real challenge is building the value chain
The most important part of Morocco’s strategy is not simply the number of farms. It is what the country is building around them.
Upstream, ANDA points to the progressive development of domestic hatcheries, which are essential to securing a reliable supply of biological material for production cycles. Downstream, it highlights the strengthening of packing and value-adding facilities intended to improve product quality, competitiveness and margins.
In 2025, the Agency reported that three hatcheries were already operating and two additional facilities were under installation. It also identified 13 new operational units for packing and adding value to aquaculture products. The 2026 statement confirms that this process is continuing, but does not provide an updated total for these facilities.
This is a decisive step. Without a consistent supply of aquaculture seed, farms may remain dependent on imports or operate below capacity. Without grading, cold storage, processing and commercial preparation, a substantial share of the value may continue to be generated outside the farm.
Competitiveness is not measured only inside cages or land-based facilities. It is built along the entire chain that carries the product to the buyer.
That final stage also depends on commercial visibility and access to professional demand. Ittico Guida Buyer, the digital hub connecting seafood companies and products with buyers, illustrates how market access has become an integral part of a complete seafood value chain.
From project to product: the test that will decide success
Moroccan authorities are supporting the sector through measures addressing strategic inputs, investor assistance and programmes designed to improve the operating environment for businesses.
ANDA is also continuing its cooperation with the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. These partnerships focus on technical assistance, training, innovation and the mobilisation of further investment.
The Moroccan government regards aquaculture as a pillar of the Halieutis strategy and as a means of diversifying national seafood production, strengthening food sovereignty and creating employment in coastal areas.
The approach therefore goes beyond opening new farms. Morocco is attempting to build an ecosystem capable of supporting production, services, processing and commercial development.
The 244 active projects show that the sector has moved beyond planning alone. The target capacity of nearly 90,000 tonnes defines its ambition. But the next decisive figure must be different: how many tonnes Morocco can actually produce, process and sell consistently.
