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Algeria's ambitions to reach the Atlantic waters off Morocco's coast have taken a curious turn with the announcement of plans to fish in Mauritania instead. As reported by local media, Algerian Minister of Fisheries and Fisheries Production Ahmed Badani, in office since March 2023, stated, «There are negotiations with the Mauritanian side», confirming they possess «licenses granted by the authorities in Nouakchott».
However, Badani's comments, made on the eve of a seafood fair in Oran, steered clear of mentioning that the legal framework already exists. As media reports reveal, the «licenses» in question date back to a 1983 agreement. These licenses were reportedly offered in exchange for five boats intended to bolster artisanal fishing in Mauritania.
However, this 1983 agreement met with «logistical obstacles», making its implementation highly complex. The Algerian-Mauritanian public maritime fishing company established under the agreement couldn't navigate the turbulent Atlantic waters. After four years of operation, it closed its doors in 1987.
Undeterred, both governments attempted to revive the project in 2003, opening the door for the private sector to participate in the joint venture. The same determination was displayed in 2013 by then-Algerian Minister of Fisheries Ahmed Ferroukhi, but these words failed to translate into action.
The «old Algerian project», as one report characterized it, resurfaced in November 2021 during the first session of the Algerian-Mauritanian bilateral border committee held in Algiers. Chaired by the two countries' Ministers of the Interior, the meeting concluded with both parties agreeing on «the activation of the agreement in the field of maritime fishing relating to the exploitation of licenses granted to fish in Mauritanian territorial waters».
More recently, September 2022 saw Algiers and Nouakchott conclude a memorandum of understanding, reportedly focusing on granting fishing quotas to Algerian trawlers in Mauritanian waters.
