Undercurrent News
Matilde Mereghetti
Morocco’s summer octopus fishing season kicked off on July 1, with a quota slightly below last year’s. Meanwhile, prices remain at near-record highs.
Fishable quantities for the current season were fixed at 8,190 metric tons of octopus frozen at sea; 1,430t for coastal trawlers; and 3,380t for artisanal fishermen in Dakhla. This is stable compared with 2017 total allowable catches, industry sources told Undercurrent News.
The quota for artisanal fishermen in Boujdour was set at 800t, 200t down year-on-year, sources also said.
Overall, a quota of 13,800t was assigned for this season, down from a total of 14,000t last year.
This year, the ‘summer’ fishing season starts a month later than usual, Moroccan authorities decided, amid a decrease in catches.
During the last season, the offshore fishery achieved 48% of the allocated quota, the inshore fishery 69% of the quota, and the artisanal fishery 99% of the quota. On average, 65% of the quota was reached.
Record high prices
At present, prices in Dakhla are around MAD 110-140 ($11.58-$14.74) per kilogram; around MAD 126-136 ($13.27-$14.32)/kg in Amgriou; and MAD 155 ($16.32)/kg in Hamoudi, according to one source.
In Mauritania, freight on board prices for octopus frozen on-land last week were $17,600 per metric ton for tako 3, $16,600/t for tako 4, $15,500/t for tako 5, $13,200/t for tako 6; and $12,810/t for tako 8, according to another source.
For frozen onboard, prices were $17,400t for tako 3, $16,400/t for tako 4, $15,300 for tako 5, $13,000 for tako 6 and $12,610 for tako 7, according to the latter source.
In northern Spain, octopus prices are also elevated as catches have been relatively low since the start of the fishing season, at around €9.50-€16.00/kg, depending on the port, according to El Faro de Vigo.
Fishing in the Western Sahara region was suspended because of bad weather, one of the sources also said.
Over recent years, Moroccan octopus prices progressively strengthened, as growing demand could not be met by falling supply from North Africa and the Mediterranean area.
Record-high Morocco octopus prices have forced some small and medium players out of the market as profit margins have shrunk.
Demand continues to be strong worldwide, as the product’s popularity continues to rise in the US and stays strong in Europe and Japan.
EU-Morocco fisheries negotiations
Meanwhile, negotiations between Morocco and the European Union are ongoing, after a legal advisor to the European Court of Justice said earlier this year the fisheries agreement concluded between the EU and Morocco was“invalid” because “it applies to Western Sahara and its adjacent waters”. An upcoming round of negotiations is scheduled for July 3-5, according to an EU official.
“Extensive discussions have taken place in Rabat on the technical and legal elements of the negotiations. And negotiations will continue in Rabat from July 3 to 5. The EU remains determined to negotiate all the necessary instruments, while fully respecting the judgment of our independent Court of Justice,” the EU official told Undercurrent.
“Morocco is a key partner in our southern neighborhood with which we have developed a lasting and valuable partnership over many years. The EU remains committed to its strengthening this relationship,” the EU official added.
Contact the author matilde.mereghetti@undercurrentnews.com
