Rabat – A total of 300 marine aquaculture farms have now been authorized in Morocco, government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said on Thursday following the weekly Government Council meeting.
During the meeting, the government approved draft decree No. 2.24.830, presented by the Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, which sets out the regulatory framework for marine aquaculture farms.
The decree establishes operational standards for farming marine species and outlines the procedures for carrying out activities within aquaculture facilities.
Responding to a question on the newly approved draft decree, Baitas said that the industry has entered a “profound transformation.”
This decree is supported by government measures that have led to qualitative progress in production levels and job creation.
Baitas added that this progress is also linked to the development of integrated units associated with the farms, which cover all stages of the value chain, including production, packaging, and related services.
Authorities have already launched more than 180 projects dedicated to marine aquaculture, with the goal of reaching production levels exceeding 70,000 tons and generating more than 2,400 direct jobs.
This represents a significant increase compared to the period before the strategy was introduced, when annual production did not exceed 50 tons.
The Government Council officially adopted the draft decree on marine aquaculture farms during Thursday’s session, presented by the Secretary of State in charge of maritime fisheries.
Morocco is quietly but steadily carving out a place as a future reference point for aquaculture in the region, guided by long-term investments, clear political direction, and a vision that treats the ocean as more than a resource to be exploited.
A recent World Bank analysis echoes this progress, noting the sector’s rapid evolution, from seaweed cultivation to shrimp farming, and portraying the country’s blue economy as a concrete project in the making rather than a distant ambition.
With sustained public and private backing, production could reach 300,000 tons over the coming decade, while creating up to 30,000 jobs.
Stretching along thousands of kilometers of coastline and home to diverse marine ecosystems, Morocco is increasingly turning to aquaculture as a pathway toward new industries, steady employment, and a more resilient economic future tied to the sea.