The Moroccan State Secretariat for Maritime Fisheries announced that the Kingdom has joined the ‘Global Marine Commodities 2 (GMC2) International Project’.
Rabat (© 2026 Afriquinfos) – As the leading fish producer in Africa, Morocco is not resting on its laurels and intends to work towards the sustainable management of its fisheries resources. It is with this in mind that the Moroccan State Secretariat for Maritime Fisheries announced that the Kingdom has joined the ‘Global Marine Commodities 2 (GMC2)’ international project.
The international Global Marine Commodities 2 (GMC2) project, a five-year program, welcomed a new member on March 10th, Morocco, the leading fish producer in Africa and the world’s leading producer and exporter of sardines.
Led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility, and already implemented in five other countries, namely Mauritania, Senegal, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama, the initiative aims to promote the sustainability of marine fisheries and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources.
The international Global Marine Commodities 2 (GMC2) project comes at a crucial time for Morocco and aligns with the national strategy to make the fisheries sector a major driver of the Moroccan economy. Indeed, faced with dwindling fish stocks, particularly sardines, which represent 85% of Moroccan small pelagic fish, Moroccan authorities have been implementing a range of strategies.
In June 2025, the National Union of Fish Canning Industries (UNICOP) sounded the alarm and noted a 46% drop in sardine landings in two years, from 965,000 tonnes in 2022 to 525,000 tonnes in 2024. Among the main reasons cited were the capture of juveniles, the ineffectiveness of the fight against illegal fishing and biological rest periods deemed unsuitable.
“ The GMC2 project leverages the technical expertise of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), which specializes in promoting sustainable fishing practices and developing marine supply chains. In particular, it aims to integrate environmental sustainability and social responsibility requirements into marine supply chains, while strengthening marine fisheries governance and increasing the value of products from sustainable fishing practices ,” reads the press release from the State Secretariat for Maritime Fisheries.
Specifically, in Morocco, the GMC2 project targets small-scale pelagic fisheries, particularly sardines and anchovies. According to the authorities, interventions will focus on strengthening the sustainability of these fisheries and promoting the consumption of products from responsible supply chains. The project also aims to improve the availability and transparency of scientific and technical information on the status of fish stocks, as well as to strengthen regional cooperation in research and the management of shared stocks.
It is worth recalling that the maritime fishing sector already plays a significant economic and social role in the Moroccan economy. Its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has averaged around 2.3% over the last 10 years. In terms of employment, the fishing industry generates more than 220,000 direct jobs and nearly 500,000 indirect jobs
source : Afriquinfo
