Small Pelagics Management
Legal and Regulatory Framework
There are quotas for the small pelagics in Mauritania since 2018 to better target the human consumption market and avoid overfishing. According to this regulation, all factories must have a freezing unit in order to run a fish meal fish oil production. - Ministerial decree n°643, 30/06/2021, article 3
Otherwise, they are limited to a certain amount of fish.
Other rules apply to orientate some species to Human Consumption:
- 100 % of sardinella goes to the freezing units. No sardinella can go directly to fish meal production, this is not allowed.
- 20 % of sardine must be sent to the freezing units and 80 % is allowed to go to the fish meal production. - Circular Note °000304, 29/04/2024
- Fish that are unfit for human consumption (after verification of ONISPA) can be sent for fish meal production.
Quota Management and Social Responsibility in Small Pelagics Fisheries
There are also quotas allowing the vessels to fish only a specific quantity defined based on the freezing unit capacity they will be delivering.
This to ensure that there is not more fishing activity that what can be transformed and processed.
On top of these regulations, the SNDP (Société Nationale de Distribution de Poisson) was created in Mauritania to distribute free fish to the most vulnerable population. This company is supplied by the fishing boats, which are required to give it 2% of their catches for free. If they cannot accept the fish, they are required to provide a monetary equivalent, which commonly happens for landings of sardine, since this species is not wanted by the end users of SNDP fish.
Controls: how are they carried out?
Local authorities in Mauritania considerably reinforced the controls at landing, sorting, before and after processing to ensure that the quotas are respected and that the relevant fishes go to the human consumption market.
Here are the steps and controls for the small pelagics in Mauritania.
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Vessels are registered with an official number, associated with specific species and fishing zones
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Authorizations are given to land in the Nouadhibou port
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Controls by the local authorities at landing
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Coast guards (vessel documentation, “note de pêche” with fish species, fishing zones, respect of the quotas, etc.)
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ONISPA sanitary inspection (decision of fish destination: human consumption, freezing units, or FMFOs). An official paper is delivered indicating that the control has been done and to which factory the fish can go.
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IMROP samples (not systematic) to collect data on catch for scientific purposes
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Other controls by the Coast guards at arrival in the factories (documentation, authorizations, fish species, etc.).
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According to the decision of ONISPA, the fish can be sent to the freezing unit, or some may be used in fish meal / fish oil production (by-products, inappropriate species, quotas, etc.)
