The development of a fishmeal industry in Mauritania

a b s t r a c t: Mauritania has recently developed a fishmeal industry based on small pelagics. The fish are caught bySenegalese canoes that work under charter for the fishmeal factories, most of which are situated in thenorthern port of Nouadhibou. After a slow start in 2005–2010, the industry showed a strong developmentafter 2010 as the result of high prices for fishmeal and oil. Catches of small pelagics landed for fishmealincreased from 50,000 t in 2011 to 240,000 t in 2014. Because new factories were still being built by theend of 2014, a further expansion of the catches used for fishmeal is expected. Data are presented on thespecies composition of the catches for fishmeal, and the length distribution of the individual species. It isshown that the catches consist of round sardinella (Sardinella aurita), flat sardinella (S. maderensis), andbonga (Ethmalosa fimbriata). Changes in species composition and length composition from 2012 to 2014may indicate different responses of the coastal stocks of small pelagics to the increased fishing pressure.Some of the species exploited for fishmeal belong to regional stocks that are shared with neighbouringcountries. The paper discusses the potential effects of the expanding fishmeal industry in Mauritania onthese regional stocks.

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