The great fish robbery

by Luca Catalano Gonzaga

Part of Land and ocean grabbing

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The unstoppable Chinese demand, pushing fish flour price rise to record levels, pushed concerned Companies to focus on Western Africa, a very rich supply source, New plants are built along Mauritania coast and global trade interests are endangering local communities’ livelihood. Based on the recent report by Greenpeace International “A Waste of Fish”, a wasteful of hundred thousand of fish tons suitable for human food is occurring to meet the expanding fishmeal and fish oil industry, with a potential impact on more than 40 million African consumers. Fishing boats coming from Asia, Europe and Western Africa illegally raid waters preserved for local people, thus violating the fishing catch regulations. The magazine “Frontiers in Marine Science” published a report according to which the illegal fishing – not reported nor governed – costs 2,3 billion of US dollars a year to Western Africa economies. Based on the most recent estimates by FAO, most of small pelagic stocks off Western Africa is over-exploited and in the past 25 years the overall catch more than doubled. Yet, between 2014 and 2018, in Mauritania fishmeal and fish oils export doubled, making this Country the biggest exporter in the region, followed by Morocco. Furthermore, climate change and consequent waters warming is causing the fish flow shift. Satellites data show the sea off Mauritania are warning faster than any other part of the equatorial belt, known as “area of tropical convergence”. Nowadays, traditional fishermen must face both new industrial predators and climate change. “Life is tough for anyone working here “ – Sily Bakary says when embarks from Nouakchott beach with some more hundreds of fishermen, to unload the catch from a pirogue – “ but we are fishermen and this is our life, where else could we go?” (Text by Benedetta Cortesi).

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish transport. “Wolof” is the name of the ethnic population carrying the fish in heavy crates on the head, protected only by a small cushion. They go back and forth to complete the catch unloading.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Awaiting pirogues coming back with the fish.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish transported from pirogues just landed on the beach. “Wolof” is the name of the ethnic population carrying the fish in heavy crates on the head, protected only by a small cushion. Their daily income varies from 3.000 to 5.000 MRO (approx. 8/12 Euro) based on the number of travels from the pirogue to the yard just across the beach, where the transportation lorries are parked.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Kids on the beach waiting for fish to fall down from carriers’ crates.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A kid is waiting fish transport. Sometimes a fish falls down from a crate and – immediately – kids and elderly people run to grab and sell it.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Every day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. small pirogues return from fishing after an entire day spent raising nets.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Carriers walk, running back and forth, until the fish is completely unloaded from the pirogue.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A carrier with a fish he’ll sell to women working the local trade. It’s common for the carriers to hide some fish in their trousers or jackets so to sell then to the women waiting on the beach.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A carrier is denying to give some fish to a beggar. Many poor people stands every day on the beach looking for food.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Carriers are just done with unloading the catch from the pirogues just arrived to the beach. They walk proudly, running back and forth, until the fish is completely unloaded from the pirogue

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Women waiting for fishermen return. Nouakchott beach is plenty of women preparing and selling the fresh fish for the local trade.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A slow line of men, wearing their waxed jacket, starts; they enter the water, reach the pirogues, and receive from the fishermen a crate full of fish they carry on their heads, back to the beach.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Women selling fish in the “Port de Peche” beach.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish destined to foreign plants then transformed into fish oil and fish meal.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. The “Port de Peche” beach.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish is collected before being transformed into oil and fishmeal.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Men busy in preparing fish crates for the nearby market; later on, they will load them up the lorries driving the catch to those processing plants producing fishmeal and fish oil.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Crates of fish destined to foreign plants and then exported for fish oil and fish meal.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish catch sale on the “Port de Peche” beach.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish catch sale on the beach. Only a small part of the catch is for the local market.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A fisherman is coming back to the beach. Every day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. small pirogues return from fishing after an entire day spent raising nets.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Well-earned rest for a fisherman at sunset, among the pirogues at “Port de Peche” beach.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A woman buying the fresh fish straight from the small pirogue; later one she’ll sell it to local people.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fresh fish sale for local trade.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fresh fish is transported by truck and then sold to processing plants producing fish oil and fishmeal.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish crate to be transported to the market, where the auction sale will take place.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A fisherman is heading with his daily catch to the nearby market, to weigh and then sell it.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. A fish carrier is having a break. Every day, many young carriers crowd the beach together with their carries to transport fish crates from small pirogues to the market close by.

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Young carries taking a break. The colours and sounds of the local market get blended with the colours of the ocean and the many voices of young guys playing or swimming.