Fishing activities along the coast from N’diago to Nouamghar are at a standstill, according to a statement issued by the association which brings together several federations.
The strikers also gathered in front of the Nouakchott Fish Market and grounded dozens of fish transport vehicles causing a stoppage.
According to the statement, the small-scale fishermen suffer from a dearth of well-trained staff and the detrimental impact to the profession of the price of fishing permits which rose from 10,000 to 55,000 ouguiyas (or from $27 to $149) .
The disgruntled fishermen called for the availability of ID documents for themselves while threatening to continue the strike should the authorities disregard their grievances.
Talks are being held with the Fisheries ministry.
The artisanal fisheries sector in Mauritania involves more than 6,600 wooden boats and sustains around 46,600 direct jobs or more than 85 percent of the industry’s total workforce.
It also offers more than 250,000 indirect jobs in the upstream and downstream businesses of the fisheries industry.
Its products also represent a large part of Mauritanian food, especially in the capital Nouakchott.