EBRD & EU Support Morocco’s Fishing Industry

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is working on strengthening the small-business support for the fishing industry in Agadir region, famous for its fishing sector.

With nearly 2.7 million people and its contribution of 7.7 pc to the country’s GDP, the region is of great strategic importance to Morocco. It is part of the Moroccan government’s 2018-22 development plan. The plan focuses on creating a new free economic zone, building two dedicated industrial zones for fish processing and agribusiness, as well as carrying out 25 integrated projects in the fishing, infrastructure and tourism sectors.

Morocco is the biggest fish producer in Africa, and its fishing industry has generated 35,000 jobs and 1.4 million tons of produce worth €1.6 million since 2007.

Supporting regional integration and a vibrant private-business sector, the EBRD organized lately a workshop, in close collaboration with the Fédération Nationale des Industries de Transformation et de Valorisation des Produits de la Pêche. The workshop was funded by the European Union.

The goal of the workshop is to bring international expertise into Morocco and help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access the know-how needed to make more value-added products and seize new export opportunities.

Since 2012, the EBRD has invested almost €2 billion in 57 projects in Morocco. This includes financing for sustainable energy and infrastructure in addition to providing business advice to more than 550 Moroccan SMEs.