Morocco, Mauritania sign fisheries marketing agreement

Morocco’s National Fisheries Office (ONP) and Mauritania’s Fish Marketing Company (SMCP) have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the marketing and valorization of fishery products,the ONP said in a statement.

The agreement,signed in Casablanca this week by ONP Managing Director Amina Figuigui and SMCP Managing Director Yahia Ahmed El Waqf,aims to establish a structured partnership between the two countries’ fish marketing authorities.

The deal outlines a joint action plan focused on knowledge-sharing in the management of marketing sites,capacity building through targeted training programs,and the transfer of expertise in handling standardized fish containers. ONP will also provide technical assistance to the Mauritanian side.

The initiative underscores the two countries’ commitment to promoting sustainable practices in the marine sector and improving the commercial value of their fishery resources.

Earlier in June,The Moroccan Confederation of Industrial Pelagic Fishing Shipowners (COMAIP) and Mauritania’s National Fisheries Federation (FNP) adopted a groundbreaking joint declaration establishing coordinated management of Atlantic African coastal fishery resources,particularly small pelagic species.

Following two days of negotiations in Dakhla,both parties achieved a shared vision grounded in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea principles and FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing. This major advancement in fisheries cooperation builds upon the 2022 Morocco-Mauritania maritime fishing and aquaculture agreement and the February 2025’s Agadir declaration of intent.

The new agreement addressed critical preservation challenges for fishery resources,considered strategic for food security,coastal development,and regional ecological balance.

The Dakhla meeting highlighted by the setting up of a joint COMAIP-FNP committee tasked with facilitating regular exchange of scientific,technical,and socio-economic information regarding shared stocks while proposing coordinated management measures based on independent scientific advice. The committee is tasked with collaborating with both countries’ fisheries research centers to implement common monitoring and evaluation systems.