Ramadan Fish Prices Soar in Morocco as Sardine Costs Triple

The government’s assurances that prices during this Ramadan will be controlled seem to be flying away in the face of the high price of fish. According to Le Matin, sardine, whose price fluctuated between 6 and 7 DH/kg normally, has reached 20 DH/kg in Casablanca, Rabat and other cities. Fans of whiting have to spend between 60 and 90 DH/kg. The strong demand would justify this surge in fish prices.

It is expected to return to price stability during the second week of the month of Ramadan. According to Hamid Halim, an expert in the fishing sector, the surge in the price, especially of sardines for example, is not related to a scarcity of the product, but to an increase in demand accompanied by a rise in speculative acts. "During the first week of the holy month, the price of fish increases following a sudden increase in demand. But generally, prices go back down to their normal level from the second week, because producers react to the behavior of demand by adapting the volumes caught," explains Halim.

The expert explains that the drought can also explain the rise in the price of fish. "Indeed, certain varieties of fish, including sardines, are fond of the nutrients transported by the rivers and discharged into the sea. This is not the case this year due to the scarcity of rainfall," details the one who is also president of the Maroc Bleu Association.

However, he proposes to the government to think about channeling the ardor of the intermediaries whose multiplication also causes the current situation. For him, the Interior Department must tighten the screws around these practices that penalize the consumer and fishermen.