Morocco confirms no Pilchard herpesvirus in local sardine populations

Moroccan authorities, including the State Secretariat for Fisheries and the National Institute for Fisheries Research, have issued assurances regarding the safety of local sardine stocks following reports of mass mortality in South Africa linked to the Pilchard herpesvirus (PHV).

Officials clarified that the virus affecting South African waters involves the species Sardinops sagax within the Benguela Current ecosystem. In contrast, Moroccan sardines belong to a different species, Sardina pilchardus (European sardine), located in the Canary Current and Mediterranean ecosystems. Experts state that the presence of the virus in South African species does not scientifically imply its presence in Moroccan waters, where no cases have been reported.

Regarding public health, authorities emphasized that PHV affects fish and is not a pathogen that spreads between animals and humans, posing no risk to human health or seafood consumption. While the virus is a concern for marine biomass, its clinical appearance is often triggered by environmental stressors such as temperature fluctuations, oxygen depletion, or algal blooms.

Despite the lack of local cases, experts recommend continued molecular surveillance and vigilance to protect the national fishing industry, which is a major global exporter of canned sardines.