In six days of exhibition, the seventh edition of the Halieutis Exhibition concluded with a record influx of 65,000 visitors, the best attendance in its 14-year history. This edition was also marked by strong international and Moroccan participation, with the Kingdom represented by 165 companies compared to 119 in the 2023 edition.
The seventh edition of the Halieutis Exhibition, held from February 5 to 9 at the exhibition park in Agadir, wrapped up a week ago on a very positive note. Over the six days of the exhibition, this event dedicated to maritime fishing and aquaculture welcomed nearly 65,000 visitors, marking its best turnout in 14 years.
This attendance significantly exceeded initial forecasts, which anticipated 50,000 participants. It represents a record turnout never achieved in previous editions, according to the State Secretariat for Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests.
Inaugurated on February 5, 2025, by the head of government, Aziz Akhannouch, this edition focused on innovation and fisheries research. As a flagship event for the maritime fishing, aquaculture, and fisheries product processing industries, it reaffirmed its status as an African showcase, with participation from 523 exhibitors from 54 countries, six of which were present for the first time (South Korea, the United Kingdom, India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Finland).
Notably, 20 foreign delegations participated. France was the guest of honor at this event, organized over a total area of 20,000 m². This choice illustrates the historical and strategic relations between Morocco and France in areas of mutual interest, such as the blue economy, sustainable management of marine resources, and the development of fisheries technologies.
The solid participation of Moroccan companies operating in the fishing industry also deserves to be highlighted. This edition recorded a record number of national companies with 165, compared to 119 in the 2023 edition. As for exhibitors involved in fisheries equipment, there were 66, up from 44 in the previous edition.
A pavilion dedicated to marine aquaculture This edition allowed for the first time the coverage of the main segments represented through five poles: the institutional pole, the international pole, the value-added and processing pole, the fleet and equipment pole, and the marine aquaculture pole.
On this last point, for the first time, this professional meeting dedicated a pavilion to the marine aquaculture sector, encompassing 43 exhibitors, thus reflecting the significance of this activity, which aims to develop 450 aquaculture projects, including 123 with a social character benefiting young entrepreneurs and artisanal fishing cooperatives, enabling an annual production of 390,000 tons and creating 6,300 job opportunities.
Today, with nearly 15 years of development in this sector following the creation of ANDA in February 2011, the sector has seen the establishment of eight regional development plans covering 2,400 km of coastline, accounting for over 70% of the national coastline. These plans pertain to the regions of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, Laâyoune Sakia El Hamra, Guelmim Oued Noun, Souss-Massa, Marrakech-Safi, Casablanca Settat, Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima, and the Oriental region.
This planning has allowed for the identification of nearly 24,000 hectares of suitable areas to host diversified marine aquaculture investment projects, focusing on the three main sectors: fish farming, shellfish farming, and algaculture.
This sector, which required 1.5 billion dirhams of public investment, recorded a production of 7,000 tons in 2024, generating a turnover of 310 million dirhams. Around 200 aquaculture farms were established in 2024 across different regions of the Kingdom, in accordance with aquaculture development plans. A total of 322 agreements for the creation and operation of aquaculture farms were published in the official bulletin, in addition to the development of hatcheries.
Highlights of this edition In addition to international participation, sessions aimed at strengthening South-South fisheries cooperation were held between Zakia Driouich, the Secretary of State in charge of maritime fishing, on the sidelines of the Exhibition, particularly with Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia, Gabon, Libya, and Mauritania. There were also bilateral meetings with Russia, Japan, France, Oman, and representatives from the EU.
During this edition, the partnership with Mauritania was strengthened with the holding of the second bilateral session of the Joint Commission, within the framework of the cooperation agreement from March 2022. This meeting concluded with the signing of two new agreements in the fields of fisheries research and another in training.
On the sidelines of the Exhibition, a grant agreement for the financing of the new generation Fishermen’s Village project in Souiria K’dima was signed between Zakia Driouich and Kawabata Tomoyuki, the resident representative of JICA in Morocco, with a total funding of approximately 129 million dirhams.
Additionally, scientific conferences, high-level round tables, and B2B meetings were held during this edition. New research infrastructure and equipment also bolstered the research fleet of the National Institute of Fisheries Research, alongside the Exhibition, with the inauguration of a new aquaculture catamaran, aimed at enhancing the Institute’s marine intervention capabilities.
Finally, it is worth noting the reception of the research vessel Al Hassan Al Marrakchi and the signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening financial education and economic inclusion for women working in the maritime fishing sector.
This agreement, concluded between Crédit Agricole and UN Women, aims to enhance financial education and economic inclusion for women working in the maritime fishing sector. It should be noted that this seventh edition was crowned by the awarding of 44 honor trophies, including 30 prizes for the best stands, 10 jury awards, and 4 trophies for innovation in the fisheries industries.
Source: leseco
