Mauritania’s highly favorable hydro-climatic conditions mean that its coasts are reputed to be among the world’s richest in fish, with an exploitable potential of 1,830,140 tons of all species, including 1,383,000 tons of small pelagic resources (GT IMROP 2019). This significant fisheries resource has made the fishing sector a strategic pole for the country’s economic growth, development, and poverty reduction, with sustained growth in added value in recent years. However, the sector’s contribution to national consumption remains limited, given its potential and the needs of Mauritania’s food-insecure population. Faced with these challenges, there are major obstacles to ensuring the sustainable management and use of these fishery resources to combat poverty and contribute to the food security of the Mauritanian population:

• The low conservation and storage capacity of artisanal and coastal small pelagic fishing boats, resulting in huge post-catch losses.
• Difficulties in making fish products, particularly small pelagic, available to the country’s food-insecure inland populations, due to the vastness of the territory and quality losses, particularly on fresh produce.
• The virtual absence of communication/awareness-raising strategies on the benefits and consumption patterns of fishery products, to change the eating habits of the population, particularly those living in non-coastal areas.
• Illegal fishing by national, sub-regional and distant water fleets.

To help Mauritania address these challenges, GIZ is implementing the project Sustainable Artisanal Fisheries in Mauritania (Pêche Artisanale Durable en Mauritanie, PADeM) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and as part of the European Union’s Emergency Trust Fund. The project focuses on providing training in hygiene and quality for small pelagic fish, which constitute the main catch in the Mauritanian artisanal fisheries sector. Additionally, PADeM has developed guidelines detailing best practices at various stages of the fish value chain, all accessible through the app dely seyd. Local fishing associations and the Center for Qualification and Training in Fishing Professions will act as continuous knowledge brokers, offering training on hygiene and quality, particularly within the small pelagic fish value chain. Proper handling of fish reduces post-harvest losses and enhances fish quality, leading to higher income for value chain actors and improved food safety for consumers.