The role of certification standards in supporting improved fisheries management for small pelagics in mauritania: An example to follow in the North West African zone?

Abstract

This study presents an assessment of the role of fisheries certification programmes in the management of fisheries in Mauritania, with the example of the small pelagic fishery. We show how the industry and authorities in Mauritania are taking advantage of the pressure for certification in the international supply chain to mobilise resources to make improvements in fisheries management and science on the ground, via the medium of a Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) and through collaboration with a fisheries certification organisation (MSC). We consider the recent expansion of the fishmeal industry and the management needs of the fishery in this context (for example, controlling capacity, rationalising management measures by fleet, moving fishing grounds away from sensitive areas, reducing wastage etc.). We evaluate the role of these projects, driven by certification objectives, in contributing to progress. We consider how a similar private-sector driven model might be applied in neighbouring West African countries (Senegal, Gambia and others) and what barriers might exist in these countries in comparison to Mauritania.