The Artisanal Port of Nouadhibou… Supply and Demand that Guarantee Profit

The port of the recreational bay, known locally as the ‘‘artisanal fishing port” of Nouadhibou, witnesses an unprecedented deployment of trades, workshops, and various activities associated with the artisanal and fishing sector.

In this location, the manufacture of equipments and machinery used in fishing- making nets, sailor’s clothing, and boats reparations- is a daily practice. Such activities boost the activity of the fishing sector, which is a vital component of the national economy, in general, and Nouadhibou, in particular.

It is estimated that more than 40 000 fishermen visit the artisanal fishing port annually and line up some 5300 boats at its beach. The activities in the port vicinity offer many job opportunities for the unemployed young people and generate significant revenues for their owners despite the decline in revenues, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact.

In this context, Mr. Abdallahi Ould M’Bareck, owner of a workshop for the manufacture of equipment for the octopus fishing, said that that the workshops, operating in this field, have considerably increased due to the increase in demand from shipowners.

He added that such workshops, which are categorized into three main categories: big, medium, and small, employ several workers, whose number varies according to the type of the workshop, which has helped to create a permanent income for large group of them, some of whom have not had the chance to complete their studies.

For his part, Mr. Seyid Ould M’Bareck, owner of another workshop, discussed the effects of the migration of large number of workers to the gold-mining sites. The shortage in workforce resulted in the decline of fishing activities which has negatively affected the revenues of workers and reduced the opportunities.

As for El Kory Ould Mohamed Abdallahi, owner of a sailors clothing store, reckons that that the resumption of sales of fishing equipment and machinery is linked to the intensity of fishing activities, especially during the seasonal resumption of activities.

For his part, Mr. Ahmed Vall Ould Dine, a seller of fishing supplies, believes that this market, located near the port, that has many shops and workshops geared towards maritime fishing activities, was a boon for hundreds of citizens before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, unfortunately, it witnesses a recession due to the precautionary measures, the main of which is the curfew.

the artisanal fishing port of Nouadhibou, remains a vast field of various activities and a living testimony to the inhabitants of Nouadhibou’s fidelity to a deeply rooted relation with the sea.