Mauritania bans skate and shark fishing

Mauritania has definitively stopped fishing activities of skates and sharks, two fish species that are coveted by the profitable international market of fins.

An agreement banning this type of fisheries was concluded by the authorities of the national park of the Arguin park, declared by UNESCO as a world legacy site, and the Imraguen population, communities of nine villages bordering the bank.

The Arguin bank is also the largest refuge of endangered birds and fish species.

Under the agreement reached after three years of negotiations, the populations undertake to hand over their nets used for fishing skates and sharks in exchange of a financial compensation to be paid by the park with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Foundation of the Arguin bank.

The Park authorities will also promote alternative sustainable fishing activities.

The bank director said the Mauritanian example should be followed by other countries of the region (Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry).

Located 180 km north of the capital Nouakchott, the National Park of the Arguin bank notches the Atlantic coast on more than 180 km. Created in 1976, it covers a surface of 12000 km2, including a terrestrial part and a maritime part of about similar sizes.