In Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s bustling fishing hub, the docks don’t hum the way they once did. Factories that once packed and shipped thousands of tons of fish now stand eerily quiet, and conversations among local workers tend to spiral back to just one question: Where have all the fish gone?
Over the past five years, Mauritania’s fishing industry has unraveled at a stunning pace. In 2020, Omaurci SA—one of the country’s leading seafood exporters—shipped almost 13,000 tons of processed catch abroad. Last year, barely 5,500 tons left the company’s warehouses. About two-thirds of the city’s fish factories have closed—a near-overnight collapse that industry insiders have described as nothing less than catastrophic.
The roots of this ongoing crisis are painfully familiar to anyone following global fisheries. Overfishing, driven by demand for fishmeal and fish oil, has strained local ecosystems past their limits. Mauritania’s waters, once rolling with life, now bear little resemblance to the productive seas of old.
A Growing Problem in Morocco
Hundreds of miles north, Morocco faces its own set of alarms. Once the Atlantic’s unsung powerhouse for sardines and other pelagic fish, the country is now staring down issues that appear drawn straight from Mauritania’s situation. In Dakhla—a major center for seafood processing—reports suggest this year’s sardine landings have dropped by nearly half. The fish that are hauled in are getting smaller, an ominous sign for the health of future stocks.
While official statistics have been slow to come out, sources connected to Morocco’s National Institute for Halieutic Research (INRH) confirm the trend: Total national fish landings are down around 20% from last year. For sardines, which form the backbone of the industry, the story’s even bleaker. Nationwide, catches have fallen by about a third. In some southern zones, the sardine harvest has dropped by as much as 70%—a level well below what experts consider sustainable.
What’s behind this sudden downturn? The answer is complicated. Illegal fishing is rampant, accounting for nearly a third of activity on Moroccan waters, according to environmental advocates. New rules—like the 2019 zoning decree—were drafted to keep stocks at healthy levels, but enforcement has lagged, largely due to resource shortages and bureaucratic inertia. The government maintains that inspections and controls are routine, citing no recent evidence of mass juvenile catches. Yet, those closest to the water say the data isn’t being shared transparently, making effective oversight nearly impossible.
Beyond the Numbers: Families and Futures at Stake
The pelagic sector in southern Morocco gives jobs—both formal and informal—to tens of thousands of people, many of them women. It’s the economic backbone of entire towns and cities, generating the equivalent of nearly $400 million each year and delivering a full third of all seafood consumed or exported nationwide.
The collapse of this system could hit more than paychecks. For Morocco’s southern regions, it poses an existential threat to food security and hopes for a sustainable “blue economy.” And as the 2026 legislative elections approach, these issues have caught the attention of King Mohammed VI, who has called for an urgent rethink of Morocco’s development model—to build a country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.
What’s happening today in Mauritania could serve as a cautionary tale. Unless Morocco acts quickly to tackle illegal fishing, improve transparency, and enforce science-based management, its own fishing grounds may soon tell the same sad story: empty docks, shuttered factories, and communities forced to reinvent themselves almost overnight.
The future of fisheries along West Africa’s Atlantic coast now hangs in a delicate balance. And for thousands of fishing families, the difference between hope and hardship may depend entirely on which lessons neighboring nations are willing to learn.
