There are 20 major fishing ports along the 1 280 km coastline of Algeria. The continental shelf is approximately of 13 700 km2 and the fishing zone is of about 95 000 km2. In 2016 the total of recorded vessels operating from these ports was estimated at 5 024 from which 552 were trawls and 1 295 purse seiners. 

Marine capture production was quite stable between 93 500 and 105 600 tonnes in the 2010-2016 period and it was estimated 94400 tonnes in 2017. Bulk of the catches are small pelagic species. No inland catches are reported. 

Aquaculture production is still marginal with the production of around 1400 tonnes in 2017, consisting of carps grown in freshwater, gilthead seabream and seabass from brackishwater and a very small amount of mussels. Most of the harvest is sold fresh in local markets. Currently, Algeria is teaming up with an Asian country in an effort to develop marine shrimp seed production and grow-out culture in the country. 

 Exports of fish and fishery products are rather limited and decreased by 57 percent in the period 2008–2013, due to declining catches. From 2014, exports started increasing again, reaching USD 9.5 million in 2017. During the period 2008-2016, Algeria’s imports of fish and fishery products increased by 250 percent, reaching USD 123.7 million in 2017. The annual consumption per capita is rather low, at an estimated 3.9 kg in 2017.  

In Algeria, employment in 2017 was estimated to be 4 487 people in aquaculture, with nearly half women, while for the fisheries sector 48 100 people were reported in 2015.