Morocco Restricts Octopus Catching until 2023

The Moroccan authorities have decided to ban all octopus catching during the 2022 summer season for vessels and big boats due to overcatching, exploitation, and illicit trade during the biological rest. Catching is only allowed by traditional boats within a limited area in the southern region of the Atlantic sea respecting the authorized quota. The ongoing rest will last for 9 months until the beginning of 2023 which will negatively impact the city of Dakhla which accounts for the majority of octopus output. Many workers are contesting the decision and asking for governmental assistance as the city relies mainly on octopus catching. This is a blow to South Korean importers who purchase frozen octopus from Morocco. Buyers will now try to source octopus from Mauritania but demand is low compared to last year, especially demand from Europe.