During the last day of the Seafood Forum, Ms. Zakia Driouch, Secretary of State in charge of Maritime Fisheries, inaugurated an industrial fish canning production unit in the industrial zone of Dakhla. She was accompanied by Mr. Jorge Pedro Morisi dos Santos, Minister of the Sea of Cape Verde, Mr. Ali Khalil, Governor of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, and Mr. M'Barek Hammya, First Vice-President of the Regional Council.
This unit is part of the Halieutis strategy, aiming to strengthen the industrial fabric of the region, add value to marine products, and create employment opportunities. It aligns with the royal guidelines to boost investments and develop the maritime economy in the south of the Kingdom. The objective is to establish an integrated strategy serving local populations.
A large-scale infrastructure
The unit covers 5,200 m² and represents an investment of 120 million dirhams. In a first phase, it will create 350 direct jobs, with a potential of 600 jobs in the long term. Its annual capacity is estimated at 42 million cans of fish intended for the local market and for export. This project is part of a global program of 500 million dirhams to add value to and process fishery resources, notably through the creation of new industrial units.
Two other projects in progress, representing an investment of 340 million dirhams, are expected to generate more than 1,000 direct jobs. These initiatives strengthen the five existing units in the region, whose total investment reaches 650 million dirhams and which already employ 2,000 people.
A key sector for the economy of the south
According to updated data from 2023, the southern regions have 178 industrial units linked to maritime fisheries, generating 31,859 direct jobs, including more than 10,000 in canneries. These industries, an economic engine for the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, and Guelmim-Oued Noun regions, play an essential role in creating added value and consolidating the Kingdom's food sovereignty.
The ministry supports this dynamism through development programs, notably projects for adding value to small pelagics and units specialized in fertilization in the industrial zones of Boujdour and Dakhla.
Ms. Driouch also visited several high-value-added investment projects and the Dakhla fishing port, where she monitored the landing operations of the catches. She noted the activation of the new goods weight measurement system, launched in 2024. This tool allows for rigorous control of quotas and landed volumes, strengthening the transparency and sustainability of fishing activities.
