Sardine virus threatens fisheries in Morocco: details
The discovery of the sardine herpes virus in South Africa raises the concern of experts about the Moroccan coasts, especially the port of Safi, at a time when no confirmed infection has been recorded in Morocco so far.
The sardine fishing sector in Morocco, one of the most important economic tributaries of marine fishing in the Kingdom, faces a new health threat after the discovery of the virus "Pilchard Herpesvirus" in the waters of South Africa during the month of August 2026, according to a professor of microbiology at the University of R He trampled South African Rosemary Dorington. Although no confirmed infection has been recorded on the Moroccan coast so far, experts call for the activation of preventive control measures, especially in the port of Safi, which is one of the most prominent poles of sardine valuation in the Kingdom. Worrying Australian precedent Scientists' concern is based on what happened in Australia, where the virus itself caused two major epidemics: the first in 1995 spread more than 5,000 kilometers from the coast and caused the sector losses of 12 million Australian dollars, and the second between 1998 and 1999 led to the loss of about 60% of the biomass of sardines and losses of 15 million Australian dollars, in addition to the closure of entire fisheries. Researcher Brian Jones, who studied these two epidemics, points out that the strain discovered in South Africa is 99.7% genetically identical to the Australian strain, after analyzes showed that all 15 sardine samples examined out of 75 fish included in the study were infected. Sorry, at the heart of the economic equation, sardines represent the backbone of a whole economic chain in Morocco, from coastal fishing to souring and exporting factories. Recent port figures confirm the size of the economic bet based on this fish: the port, the unloaded quantity, the value, the rate of development, tantan (August 30, 2026) 80,000 tons 276 million dirhams + 122% volume and + 112% the value of the eyes (January-August 2026) more than 164,000 tons more than 580 million dirhams + 85,3% volume and + 116% the value of Al Hoceima and Safi (August 2026) 1.800 tons 9,7 million dirhams unspecified According to Hassan Saadouni, head of the Blue and Coastal Economy Committee of the General Union of Moroccan Enterprises in the Marrakech-Safi region, any potential injury may directly affect the operating and export chains associated with this fishery. Proactive actions awaiting danger In the absence of any confirmed case on the Moroccan coasts, research institutions, headed by the National Institute for Research in Fisheries (INRH) in coordination with the National Office for the Health Safety of Food Products (ONSSA), called for the adoption of periodic molecular monitoring of samples of sardines caught, the strengthening of laboratory capacities, the activation of rapid reporting mechanisms for any unusual fish deaths, as well as the tightening of health measures on sardine imports. The researcher Rosemary Dorington also offered to put her laboratory at the disposal of the Moroccan side to conduct PCR tests for early detection of the virus. The biggest bet remains to maintain the upward pace of the sector in Moroccan ports, at a time when the virus is still far away geographically but close in terms of potential risks to the livelihood of thousands of fishermen and workers in the chain of export and export.