Balancing profit and preservation: Mauritania pushes for sustainable fishing with EU support

euronews (in English)

Balancing profit and preservation: Mauritania pushes for sustainable fishing with EU support  In Mauritania and across North-West Africa, fish is essential. It provides food and jobs for countless people. But this natural resource is under threat. What must be done to protect it, and how can Europe play a part?  In partnership with the European Commission  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/06/24/balancing-profit-and-preservation-mauritania-pushes-for-sustainable-fishing-with-eu-suppor  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

Transcript

00:01Thousands of small boats are preparing for a new fishing season at the artisanal harbour of Noadibu,

00:07a city at the northern tip of Mauritania, near some of the world's richest fishing grounds.

00:12Life on these boats is hard and often risky,

00:15but it's how these fishermen, both local and from neighbouring countries, make a living.

00:21Once regular fishing reopens, these thousands of pirogues will set out from the Mauritanian coast.

00:27These fishers will be spending days at sea, risking their lives to feed their families and communities.

00:33Here in northwest Africa, fish is essential. It provides food and jobs to countless people.

00:40But this natural treasure is under threat. What must be done to protect it? And how could Europe play a part?

00:50Some of the most important fish here are so-called small pelagics, like sardanella.

00:55That's relatively affordable animal protein on which coastal communities depend.

01:05Fishermen say that in the past, these fish were much easier to find.

01:09Now they have to go much further out to the sea to catch enough.

01:14They are scared because the sea is not going to be heard.

01:17The sea is not going to be heard.

01:18It's not going to be heard.

01:19It's going to be heard, it's going to be heard.

01:20It's going to be heard.

01:22There are a lot of things that are going to get from the sea.

01:24Now they have to get a lot of fish.

01:25The sea is a lot of fish, the waves are a lot of fish,

01:28the weather is a lot of fish.

01:29The weather is warm, all the fish will get out of the sea.

01:31They consume a lot of carbon, and they will destroy the sea.

01:34Scientists from IMROP, the Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic Research and Fisheries,

01:40collect daily catch statistics. Studies show that some of the small pelagic species are

01:45massively overfished. Without action, they could collapse completely. Mohamed Fadal leads

01:50Mauritania's National Artisanal Fishery Federation.

01:54Climate change is one challenge, but fishermen and environmental groups point to another.

02:13Industrial ships catching vast amounts of fish for fish meal factories that supply foreign

02:18aquaculture. The industry boomed a few years ago, with many new factories driving up demand.

02:24Some factories have since closed, while others are working to improve. Mauritania Pelagic,

02:53operating here for 25 years, says it's committed to sustainability and aims to set an example.

03:01It focuses on fish for human consumption, using only discards for fish meal and oil. The food-grade

03:07fish are frozen, supporting food security. But the factory director says not all competitors

03:13follow these standards. Shortages of fish halts production. When we visit, the factory is quiet.

03:21No catches have arrived. No catches have arrived for days.

03:28しょうちに、きょうの鎖のが私た強酬をカス Sk≪、空気が多く上昇。

03:34nhiutterは水のメンヘスに時間を守る高いものです substance

03:36水�AIをどんなな ministreの冷蔽機保養卒権の低渋が無事実に非常に孽嚴が疑しているものです。

03:41and the fish is illicit.

03:45To keep the ocean healthy, the region needs coherent rules

03:49on which fish can be caught, when and where,

03:52what should be frozen, and what can be turned into fish meal.

03:56This is known as the management's plan.

03:59As IMROPF researcher Mohamed Ahmed Jaeed explains,

04:03no country can solve this regional problem alone.

04:09The Mauritania has implemented, with the European Union,

04:13a plan of management of pet pelagic.

04:15Currently, in the sub-region,

04:17there are attempts to do the same thing as the Mauritania.

04:21The management measures, such as fishing zones,

04:24the periods of delays, the tools used,

04:27all these measures must be harmonised.

04:30The management plan is based on scientific advice

04:33from an international team of experts.

04:35It's part of a sustainable fisheries partnership agreement

04:38between Mauritania and the European Union,

04:40reached after intense negotiations in 2021.

04:43Sidi Ali Sidi Boubacar led the Mauritanian delegation

04:46during those talks.

04:48The team will go to Nice.

04:49We negotiated and took into consideration all the recommendations.

04:53It consisted of preparing a plan of management for the pet pelagic.

04:57What was done.

04:58I think that it also gave its fruit.

05:01There is a return of European ships,

05:03a return of other ships.

05:05There is a disponibility of these pet pelagic in Mauritania.

05:09Joaquin Tassovier-Longa, head of the EU mission in Mauritania,

05:13visited the new IMRAP Research Institute headquarters

05:16in the country's capital, Nouakchot,

05:18a modern facility the EU helped build.

05:21The agreement is mutually beneficial.

05:23The EU supports Mauritania's fishing industry,

05:25and in return, European ships can fish in Mauritanian waters,

05:29but only for surplus stocks.

05:34The fishing agreement already presents a very important annual payment

05:38of 57 million euros per year,

05:42which is paid on the account of the Mauritanian treasure.

05:44It is the payment that allows European ships to fish in Mauritania.

05:49It is also a very important support sectorial

05:53to strengthen the capacity of Mauritanian institutions

05:56to manage the resources of fishing in a sustainable way.

05:59There is also a technical assistance and training

06:03that is also provided in the cadre of this agreement.

06:09The EU funding helps upgrade Mauritania's infrastructure

06:12from ports and coast guard vessels

06:14to research labs, nature parks and fish markets.

06:19One of the largest is the Nouakchot fish market,

06:22which spans 200 hectares in the country's capital.

06:26Small-scale fishers sell fresh fish, crustaceans and mollusks here.

06:31It's a vital food source for families in the capital

06:33and elsewhere along the coast.

06:35But the market lacks proper infrastructure.

06:38With no jetties for boats,

06:40fish is difficult to unload, making it more expensive.

06:44Sellers and buyers also need better facilities,

06:47as the market director points out.

06:49This new first aid station was built with European money.

07:03It will help solve some problems by giving urgent medical care when needed.

07:07Fishing accounts for more than a third of Mauritania's exports

07:10and a quarter of government revenue.

07:12The industry supports up to 300,000 direct and indirect jobs.

07:16It's a pillar of the economy.

07:18But the partnership with Europe has a clear goal.

07:21While the country makes money from fishing exports,

07:24local people should still have enough affordable fish to eat.

07:28The aim is to keep fishing sustainable for everyone.

07:33We also need to change our mentality.

07:35We fish for the needs, for the consumption.

07:38So we need to think about the future.

07:43Helping fish populations recover

07:45and ensuring sustainable fishing.

07:47These are the best ways to keep the ocean full of life

07:51for generations to come.

Category

Transcript

Recommended