Mauritania’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), off its 754-kilometer-long coast, is reputed to be among the richest fishing grounds in the world. This abundant fish population is due to the permanent activity of the Cap Blanc up-welling phenomenon. It results in a phyto-planctonic explosion which constitutes the basis of an important food chain.

This richness of the Mauritanian waters in halieutic resources can also be explained by the role played by the coastal side of the “Arguin Bank” which acts as a “nursery” for fish and where the marine fauna finds favorable conditions for reproduction and development.

Fishing is definitely a key economic sector in Mauritania, although, surprisingly, Mauritanians themselves consume relatively little fish.

The total annual catch is above 500 000 Metric Tons, a large part of which being directly exported, without offloading, to overseas destinations. A majority of the 300 or so ships trawl Mauritania's EEZ to fish cephalopods and other deep water species. The rest is split between pelagic fishing and crustaceans (shrimp and lobster), with some 50 to 60 ships each.
The fishing activity accounts for more than half of the nation export income, one third of its budget revenue and for about 36 percent of local employment.

Recently a South African based company has announced an investment of US$ 120 million for the building the very first fish cannery in Mauritania.

Mauritanian Fishing Stocks

Mauritanian waters host a very large quantity of fish which can be listed in various categories[1]:

1. Pelagic species

Those migratory fish swim in shoals and live close to the surface of the water or between two bodies of water. They are abundant in Moroccan - Mauritanian waters from November to end April and in Senegal, from June to end October.
Among them, different tuna like fish account for a yearly catch of above 3500 metric tons, such as:

o Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)
o Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus alabacares)
o Longfin tuna (Thunnus alalunga)
o Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)
o Atlantic little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus)
o Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
o Plain bonito (Orcynopsis unicolor)
o Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda)
o Atlantic sailfish (Isotiophorus albicans)
o White marlin (Tetrapturus albidus)

But other large size species are numerous too, such as Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), Blue fish (Pomatomus saltator), etc...

The biggest catch, however, is made of smaller pelagic fish such as:

o Sardinellas (Sardinella aurita, Sardinella rouxi),
o Sardines (Sardina pilchardus),
o Mackerels (Scomber Scombrus)
o Horse mackerels (Trachurus trecae, Trachurus trachurus)
o Etc...

2. Demersal or benthic species

They live on the seabed or in deep waters. Over 300 different species are listed, including flat fish, such as:

o Tongue sole (Cynoglossus browni, cadenati, canariensis, goreensis, senegalensis),
o Portuguese sole (Synaptura Lusitanica),
o Wedge sole (Dicologlossa cuneata)
o Turbot (Psettodes bennettii, Bellcheri)
o Scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna)
o Etc…

However, a large part of the daily Mauritanian catch pertains to:

o Seabream (Diplodus cervinus, Diplodus puntazzo, Diplodus sargus, Diplodus cadenatti, Diplodus vulgaris, Pagellus bogaraveo, Spondyliosoma antharus, Plectorhinchus mediterraneus)
o Black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus)
o Royal seabream (Sparus auratus)
o Red Porgy (Pagrus pagrus)
o Dentex (Dentex Canariensis, Dentex Dentex, Dentex Gibbosus, Dentex Macrophtalmus)
o Red mullet (Mugil capurrii, Pseudupeneus prayensis)
o Smoothound (Mustelus mustelus)
o Bearded umbrine (Umbrina canariensis, Umbrina cirrosa)
o Large mouthed weakfish (Pseudotolithus senegallus)
o Smooth hound catfish (Arius heudeloti)
o Black hake (Merluccius senegalensis)
o White grouper (Epinephelus aeneus)
o Etc…

To be noted that some months ago, the Mauritanian ministry for fisheries has introduced a new set of rules which temporary prohibit the exportation of some species, in view to induce a stronger demand in fish from the local population.

This temporary ban applies mostly to Black narrow head mullet (Mugil capurrii), Cassava croaker (Argyrosomus regius) and Seabass (Dicentrarchus punctatus), but can be revoked for certain periods of the year.

3. Cephalopods

They are all migratory species caught by fishermen in coastal waters and include:
oCuttlefish (Sepia Officinalis),
oSquid (Loligo vulgaris, Ommastrephes bartrami)
oOctopus (Octopus vulgaris)

4. Crustaceans

They live on the seabed, such as:
oRoyal spiny Lobster (Panulirus regius)
oPink spiny lobster (Panulirus mauritanicus)
oTiger Prawn (Penaeus kerathurus)
oStrip red shrimp (Aristeus varidens)
oRed crab (Chaceon maritae)
oEtc…

5. Shellfish

The stock is quite large and mostly unexploited…
oWarty venus (Venus rosalina)
oClam (Venus verrucosa)
oEtc…

The Mauritanian Fishing Sector

The Mauritanian fishing sector is a mix of industrial fishermen (mostly foreign ship owners) and local fishermen and operators (semi industrial and artisanal). Some local fishermen can run up to 25m boats but most of them use canoes (pirogues). Those fleets are mostly fishing within the 6 miles boundary. Yearly demersal fishing catch is about 80.000 metric tons!

Formerly, the fish was only directly exported overseas or unloaded and transferred through places like Las Palmas (Spain), because of the lack of processing facilities and capacity to do so in Mauritania.

There are by now about 20 medium-sized fish processors in Mauritania, located mainly in the biggest fishing harbor of Nouadhibou (north of the country), but also in Nouakchott (capital city).

Enforcement of quality and sanitary controls lies with the Oceanographic and Fisheries Institute, "IMROP,” which works closely with the EU and Japan (major overseas clients for Mauritanian fish). Quality and sanitary standards are therefore quite good.
Each fish processor has a full time appointed veterinary doctor on the spot, in charge of water, ice and fish quality survey.

Operators are used to be audited by third party regarding quality and freshness of sea products, packaging, transit time (less than ¾ of hour for non filleted fish between the product input and output); output meaning products packaged and ready to be transported to the airport in refrigerated trucks.

Mauritanian Sea Food

Products can be delivered live (lobsters), fresh, frozen (whole round or processed: filleted, Head-Guts-Tail off for example) or even dried.

Accordingly, packaging matches the request:

- For live products: polystyrene boxes with « Gelopack » and seaweeds
- For fresh products: polystyrene boxes, vacuum conditioned, with or without ice in direct contact (or not) with the product, IQF, plastic foil wrapped, etc…
- For frozen products: 24 or 30 kg cartons (IQF or blocks) or polyethylene bags (IQF)
- For dried product: bulk in containers

Shipping depends on the type of product:

- Live lobsters can be shipped by airfreight, providing that the journey is less than 24 hours
- All fresh (processed or not) catch can also be shipped on ice bed by airfreight
- All frozen catch can only be shipped by refrigerated sea containers or, in certain case, on refer vessels (dedicated cargo ship).

Sea transportation is mostly ensured by a leading European shipping company able to carry refrigerated containers from Nouadhibou, Nouakchott to any place in the world. Sea transportation time depends upon final destination. Departures are twice a month.

Air transportation is made from Nouakchott (transportation by refrigerated trucks, between Nouadhibou and Nouakchott), to any foreign airport (whether through Casablanca or Paris). Some attempts are underway to air ship by cargo aircraft from Nouadhibou to Las Palmas, too.