Adresse physique
66 Rue du Sahara El Kala w. El Tarf
Algérie
Red coral fishing has been suspended in Algeria since 2001. In October 2023, the Minister of Fisheries and Fishery Production, Ahmed Badani, announced on national radio that the activity would restart at the beginning of 2024, now that its legal framework had been finalized.
Three Coastal Wilayas and 60 Licensed Professionals
According to the Minister, the relaunch was to take place in three wilayas along the eastern coast: El Tarf (home of El Kala, Algeria’s historic coral town), Skikda and Jijel. Fishing permits were to be granted to around sixty selected professionals.
A Plan Built on Quotas and Rotation
This announcement followed an exploitation plan presented in 2021 by the National Agency for the Sustainable Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANDPA). Its main principles:
- A limited national quota of about 6 tonnes of coral per year.
- Five coastal zones, each divided into two harvesting areas.
- Rotation: each area open for 5 years, then closed for 20 years.
The long rest period is explained by biology: red coral (Corallium rubrum) grows extremely slowly and needs 15 to 20 years to regenerate.
What It Means for Coral Jewelry
A regulated, traceable harvest is good news for consumers: it is the best protection against illegally harvested coral and counterfeit products. At Corail Chaib, a family workshop in El Kala, we work only with coral obtained through legal channels, and we follow these developments closely because they shape the future of our craft.
Based on statements by the Minister of Fisheries reported in the Algerian press in October 2023, and on the ANDPA plan announced in 2021.
