Published connected 24/06/2025 - 14:59 GMT+2•Updated 16:20
Fishing is simply a cornerstone of Mauritania’s system and regular life, accounting for astir 10% of nan country’s GDP, and providing activity for astir 300,000 group - either straight aliases indirectly. For galore Mauritanians, food is nan main root of protein, making nan assemblage important for some livelihoods and nutrient security.
The Sustainable Fishery Partnership Agreement (SFPA) betwixt nan European Union and Mauritania, renewed successful 2021 for six years, sets nan position for European vessels operating successful Mauritanian waters. The woody is designed to reside overfishing and protect marine resources, while besides supporting Mauritania’s economy.
The EU’s Ambassador to Mauritania, Joaquin Tasso Vilallonga, said to “Ocean” astatine nan caller IMROP investigation centre successful Nouakchott, funded by nan EU. He described sportfishing arsenic “a very important assemblage of nan Mauritanian economy,” highlighting its domiciled arsenic a awesome employer and cardinal root of nutrition. He stressed that nan partnership’s main extremity is to guarantee Mauritania’s rich | food stocks are managed sustainably: “That means, firstly, it continues to supply nutrient and nutrition for nan country; secondly, it allows Mauritania to export a assets and gain income; and finally, it respects nan expertise of these food stocks to reproduce and beryllium maintained, guaranteeing sustainable usage and respect for nan marine environment”.
Key points of nan statement include:
Science-based quotas: EU vessels are only allowed to drawback surplus stocks, arsenic wished by associated technological assessments. If scientists counsel that a type is astatine risk, sportfishing for that type is halted.
Financial contributions: The EU pays Mauritania €57.5 cardinal annually, pinch an further €3.3 cardinal earmarked for supporting section sportfishing communities, research, and infrastructure.
Food security: Part of nan drawback — specifically, 2% of pelagic food — is allocated for section nutrient information and distributed successful nan section communities, helping to guarantee Mauritanians person entree to affordable protein.
Transparency measures: The statement requires each overseas sportfishing contracts to beryllium made public, aiming to guarantee fairness, and to combat forbidden fishing.
The EU-Mauritania SFPA is seen arsenic an effort to equilibrium economical interests pinch biology protection. By tying entree to technological advice, and investing successful section infrastructure, nan statement intends to guarantee that some Mauritania’s sportfishing manufacture and its marine ecosystems stay patient for generations to come.