Evaluation of the Morocco Small Scale Fisheries Project

This was a four-year project to rigorously evaluate the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s investment in improving the quality of fish moving through domestic channels and assure the sustainable use of fishing resources in Morocco. The ex-post evaluation studied the implementation of the project, its sustainability, and the interventions’ contributions to improved outcomes. Mathematica conducted a mixed-methods ex-post evaluation of (1) the Fish Landing Sites and Ports Facilities Activity, (2) the Wholesale Fish Markets Activity, and (3) the Marine Protected Areas Sub-Activity. Data collection included a fisher survey, administrative data from on fish sales, infrastructure assessments, key informant interviews, and focus groups. Mathematica worked closely with MCC, MCA-M, and Moroccan government stakeholders to build evaluation materials and collect data.

Mathematica found that most project activities were implemented according to plan, and the infrastructure was generally high-quality. The number of fishers using the ports and fish landing sites increased, and both fishers and staff reported improvements in fish quality and satisfaction with the facilities. The evaluation did not find a conclusive link between the reported improvements and increases in fish prices or fishers’ revenue. Nonetheless, the evaluation revealed, across both project sites and other fishing sites in Morocco, a shift toward higher-value species and an increase in fishers’ revenues. Since the project, there has also been a shift toward greater government investment in the small-scale fishing industry in Morocco, including further development of infrastructure and support for the entire fishing value chain.