This summer campaign, which continues until September 30, 2024, is being resumed in optimal conditions, after a three-month biological shutdown.
In a statement to MAP, the regional delegate of the National Fisheries Office (ONP) in Laâyoune, Mourad Ezzoubi stressed that the fish market at the port of Laâyoune is experiencing sustained dynamics during this period, highlighting the quantities significant landings of octopus at this port platform.
The quantities landed since the resumption of octopus fishing until today at the port of Laâyoune are estimated at more than 226 T (tons), worth more than 18 million dirhams (MDH), a specified Mr. Ezzoubi, adding that the average price of a kg of octopus in fish markets oscillates between 70 and 110 Dirhams
Furthermore, the official noted that the administration of the ONP has taken a series of organizational measures as part of a participatory approach between the different stakeholders in maritime fishing, emphasizing the development and good management of the Laâyoune fish market which accommodates a very large volume of this fishery product.
In this sense, he indicated that the ONP of Laâyoune has set up a digitalized system for the octopus sales operation to guarantee transparency and ensure the speed of the marketing operations, as well as the valorization of the fishing products.
A ceiling of 1,600 kg of octopus is authorized for landing by ship per 10-day trip, which corresponds to approximately 70 plastic boxes of 23 kg/box.
For this summer octopus fishing season, some 220 trawlers are operational in the maritime districts of the region, while for the artisanal sector 1,002 boats are in activity, including 304 in Laâyoune, 341 in Tarfaya, 196 in Amgriou and 161 in Tarouma.
As part of the preparations for the summer octopus fishing campaign and following the ministerial decrees organizing access to octopus fishing, the Maritime Fisheries Delegation in Laâyoune has, for its part, undertaken a series of measures aimed at improvement of the conditions for resuming this activity within a regulatory framework which takes into consideration the rational exploitation of this fishery resource.
In this wake, the services of the Delegation carried out technical checks of the boats, in particular the monitoring of the fishing nets and the operation of the satellite monitoring device (VMS), before the issuance of access permits to the fishing zone. with octopus.
Concerning the fishing quotas set for the summer season, the total admissible octopus catch authorized is 15,600 T, according to the ministerial decision setting the conditions for the resumption of octopus fishing activity south of Sidi L ‘Ghazi.
These quotas are distributed over the offshore segment (9,828 T), the coastal segment (1,716 T) and the artisanal segment of Dakhla (4,056 T), it is specified.
Apart from the overall quota, a non-revisable quota of 1,600 T is granted to subunit 1 (Aftissat, Boujdour center and Sidi El Ghazi) for this fishing season.
However, these quotas allocated to the maritime districts can be revised depending on the evolution of the biological indicators and the exploitation indicators of this fishery.
Remember that during the winter octopus fishing season, more than 6,646 T of these cephalopods, with a total value of more than 491.41 MDH, were landed at fishing sites in the region.