Launch of Wholesale Fish Market Construction Works in Beni Ansar, Nador Province
The Secretary of State to the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, in charge of Maritime Fisheries, Zakia Driouich, officially launched today, Wednesday, the construction works of the wholesale fish market in the commune of Beni Ansar, Nador Province.
This structuring project, inaugurated in the presence of local authorities, representatives of the fisheries sector, and several dignitaries, is part of the government’s strategy aimed at enhancing the value of national marine product output and encouraging domestic fish consumption.
It also seeks to strengthen the marketing network by establishing a modern and efficient system that ensures conditions of quality, hygiene, and food safety, in alignment with the strategic orientations of the Secretary of State in charge of Maritime Fisheries.
The upcoming wholesale market is expected to provide the region with infrastructure that meets national standards, thus contributing to the regular supply of fish and facilitating access for the local population.
The market will cover a total area of 20,872 square meters, with a financial investment of 45 million dirhams. It will include, in particular, a temperature-controlled fish sale area, a refrigeration room for product storage, a veterinary laboratory, a weighing bridge, a monitoring booth, technical and administrative facilities, social amenities, as well as a plot of land allocated for the installation of an ice production plant.
Thanks to its technical and organizational features, this project—which will take 15 months to complete—is expected to serve as a significant lever for modernizing the fisheries value chain in the region and enhancing its contribution to both the local and national economies.
This project is the result of an institutional partnership between the Secretary of State in charge of Maritime Fisheries, the Beni Ansar Municipal Council, the Agency for the Development of the Marchica Lagoon Site, and the National Fisheries Office.
In a press statement, Mrs. Driouich highlighted the importance of this project aimed at ensuring high-quality fish for consumers and strengthening the fisheries production chain.
She added that this wholesale market, benefiting from a 45 million dirham investment and expected to create approximately 450 jobs, falls within the ongoing efforts of the state, the government, and the fisheries sector to improve product quality and make it more accessible to consumers.
The Secretary of State also pointed out that with this project, the number of wholesale markets will rise to twelve. Ten of these are already operational, while the eleventh will be inaugurated soon in the city of Fez. She stressed that the primary goal is to ensure an adequate supply of fish and high-quality products for consumers in the Oriental region.
It is worth noting that the maritime district of Nador boasts significant potential in the fisheries sector. In 2024, it recorded a production volume of 6,236 tons, including aquaculture, with a financial value of 313.3 million dirhams.
This district also holds a leading position in the aquaculture sector, accounting for 47 percent of the national aquaculture production (equivalent to 1,692 tons, valued at 138.4 million dirhams).
The local industrial network includes 26 marine product processing units, eight of which specialize in shrimp peeling, representing 50 percent of national units involved in this activity. This industrial activity has led to the creation of 9,327 direct jobs.
In 2024, exports of marine products from onshore processing units in the Oriental region totaled 6,100 tons, with a financial value of 376 million dirhams.
Moreover, the Nador maritime district benefited from total investments of approximately 499 million dirhams between 2010 and 2024. These investments enabled the implementation of structuring projects, including unloading infrastructure, equipment for enhancing fishery products (insulated boxes, surveillance cameras, standardized crates), aquaculture initiatives (algae cultivation, oyster farming, entrepreneurship support), and a program for upgrading traditional and coastal fishing units.