CHALLENGES
SCOPE OF
MAURITANIAN PELAGIC FISHERIES
While some of the stocks targeted by the fishery are in good condition (being fully exploited or less), there are concerns regarding the over-exploitation of some others. Specifically, the stock status of sardinella and ethmalose requires careful attention to ensure the sustainable management of this fishery.
Despite the development of the management plan for these species in 2022 and its implementation in January 2023, it is essential to support and gradually assess its measures. Indeed, the fishery is constantly evolving, and the technical measures established by the PAP-PP (Management Plan for the Small Pelagic Fishery) have not been fully implemented.
The overexploitation and the reduction of the biomass of the targeted species, main source of predators (demersal and pelagic fish, seabirds and marine mammals in particular), have a considerable impact on the integrity of the ecosystem.
ACTION PLAN OF THE FIP
The FIP action plan includes a large number of measures aimed at addressing the areas for improvement identified during the pre-assessment, as well as the recommendations developed during the annual FIP workshops.
Any serious management strategy is based on the availability of reliable data and statistics. Thus, the priority of the Mauritania Small Pelagics FIP project, since its inception, has been to improve IMROP’s (Mauritanian Institute for Oceanographic and Fisheries Research) data collection system. The FIP also provides financial support to bolster IMROP's existing resources to monitor the small pelagic fishery and all species targeted by the FIP.
With this in mind, the FIP action plan has been updated to take into account the most recent assessment of the fishery against the MarinTrust standard, an eco-label for fishmeal and fish oil fisheries (FMFO), and an MSC pre-assessment.
-
Improve the data collection on catches and biomass for the coastal/small pelagic fleet
-
Assist the government in the implementation of a small pelagic management plan
-
Ensure that the fishery follows an eco-systemic approach
-
Support the government and scientists in the cooperation with neighboring countries (Morocco and Senegal) for the management of shared stocks
-
Support monitoring and control on board and in factories
-
Evaluate by-catch, discards and interactions with vulnerable habitats
-
Improve direct and indirect stock assessments
-
Focus the fishery on human consumption market and orient the fish meal towards waste valorization
-
Establish a management system for the FIP to implement the above actions
One of the difficulties in the management of small pelagics in Mauritania lies in the fact that the majority of the targeted stocks are shared with neighboring countries. Therefore, beyond a national strategy, it is necessary to strengthen bilateral collaborations for a concerted management, in particular with Senegal for sardinella and Morocco for sardines.
Finally, the FIP includes an important social component. The entire fishery has been subject to an independent social audit by external experts from Partner Africa. Based on this audit, we are working with Partner Africa and IMROP to develop a social workplan for the FIP, on the same basis as the environmental workplan presented above.
