• Morocco digitizes 68 of 76 fish markets to improve tracking, governance, and data collection.
• Satellite monitoring and RFID tracking now cover all vessels in Moroccan waters to combat illegal fishing.
• Digital tools support scientific research, fisheries management, and market oversight amid declining catches and revenues.

Morocco faces a 15% decline in coastal and artisanal fish landings and a 4% drop in sector revenues through November 2025, according to the National Office of Fisheries.

The government sees digitalization as a tool to address these challenges.

During a parliamentary session on Monday, January 5, 2026, Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries Zakia Driouich said that 68 of the country’s 76 first-sale fish markets now operate with digital systems.

The digital deployment allows the government to access precise data and strengthen oversight of commercial transactions.

Digital registration enables tracking of sales and production of actionable data, reducing opacity in exchanges.

The system also enhances control and audit capabilities, a key lever to improve governance and industry practices.

Digitalization extends beyond markets to fishing zones.

Driouich said all vessels operating in Moroccan waters are now monitored via satellite.

The government also uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) to trace authorized vessels, reinforcing controls and combating illegal fishing.

Officials apply these tools to scientific research, fisheries management, production methods, and commercialization.

The approach aims to improve data collection, planning, and sustainable resource management.

The initiatives build on Morocco’s long-standing strategy.

The Halieutis strategy, launched in 2009, initiated gradual modernization, including replacing paper documentation with electronic data processing for exports.

With the digitalization of first-sale markets and enhanced maritime monitoring, Morocco takes a new step toward a more traceable, regulated, and data-driven fisheries sector.