Russia strengthens cooperation with Africa in the field of research and rational use of Atlantic fish stocks
A delegation of scientists from the Atlantic branch of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography took part in the International Symposium "Small pelagic fish species in the region of North-West Africa: development, expansion of use and consequences of climate change".
The meeting took place in Nouakchott (Mauritania). The symposium gathered more than 300 delegates from 17 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. The participants discussed the prospects for rational and sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources in the region.
The head of AtlantNIRO Konstantin Bandurin spoke about Russian scientific research in the area of the Central-Eastern Atlantic, the results of the work of the domestic fishing fleet, cooperation of the Russian Federation with coastal West African countries in the field of marine fisheries.
The Russian scientist drew attention to the expediency of carrying out the planned African expedition, which can cover the zones of six states from Morocco to Sierra Leone. Expeditionary research in the zones of Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Guinea and Sierra Leone in the very near future will give a new impetus to the development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and coastal West African countries.
On the sidelines of the Symposium, AtlantNIRO specialists met with the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abidine Ould Maaif, as well as a delegation from the Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic Research and Fisheries (IMROP).
The Mauritanian side expressed deep interest in conducting a trawl-acoustic survey by Russian scientists to assess the biomass of pelagic fish species in the exclusive economic zone of Mauritania in conjunction with oceanographic and hydrobiological studies of the pelagic ecosystem. The Mauritanian colleagues stressed the practical significance of the survey on the replenishment of pelagic fish species, carried out within the framework of the intergovernmental agreement concluded.