Mauritanian Fishing Industry
Along its 750 km Atlantic coastline, Mauritania enjoys an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that contains some of the world's richest fishing grounds. Accounting for $121.3 million in exports, the fishing sector was the country's second largest foreign exchange earner in 2002. The total annual catch is about 500,000 tons, of which a large part is exported directly, without offloading, to destinations overseas. A majority of the 300 or so ships that trawl Mauritania's EEZ are devoted to cephalopods and other deep water species; the rest are divided between pelagic fishing, on the one hand, shrimp and lobster, on the other, with some 50 or 60 ships each.
Mauritania already suffers, however, from over fishing, affecting cephalopods in particular. In response, the Mauritanian government has extended the offshore Exclusion Zone from 6 miles to 12, improved its surveillance capacities, and extended the no-fishing biological reproduction period from 30 to 60 days (September 1-October 31) each year.
Another problem is the poorly maintained local fleet - composed of about 140 old ships, mostly Chinese-made, focused on deepwater fishing. Effective modernization has been inhibited by a rule limiting foreign shares in fishing boats to 49 percent - an exception to Mauritania's otherwise liberal investment laws. Given the problems affecting its own fishing sector, the Mauritanian government has signed a series of agreements granting fishing rights to the European Union fleet, currently numbering 137 authorized trawlers. Another 20-30 foreign ships, mainly Eastern European, are licensed to fish in Mauritanian waters.
There are now about 15 medium-sized fish processors in Mauritania, located mainly in the northern port town of Nouadhibou. Processors enjoy government support, fairly easy access to land, and inexpensive manpower. Enforcement of quality and sanitary controls lies with the Oceanographic and Fisheries Institute, "IMROP," which works closely with the EU and Japan (now the major overseas clients for Mauritanian fish). According to a USAID Volunteer Expert who visited recently, there should be no problem in developing fish sales to the U.S. market as well. Quality and sanitary standards are already impressive, he said: potential exporters need only develop the necessary U.S. commercial contacts, and do the required FDA-HACCP paperwork.
Mauritania's fishing industry also offers opportunities for U.S. sales. Many processors, eager to modernize and expand their plants, would welcome more sophisticated equipment and/or investment partners from the United States. Given the age of the Mauritanian fleet, there might be a market for new or used American boats. U.S. companies could also become partners in Mauritanian fishing ventures (although limited to a 49 percent share).
There are a number of projects to improve the infrastructure of fishing activities, including port extension, warehouse development, and the construction of a new harbor for artisanal fishing at Nouadhibou. Japan, the EU, and the African Development Bank are also backing improvements in fishing techniques, conservation, and marketing in the traditional sector -- which produces less revenue than industrial fishing, but provides more of its catch to local processors and generates far more jobs.
