A U.N. Environment Program report yesterday indicates overfishing has drastically depleted stocks around Mauritania, with some types of fish having disappeared completely.

The study on Mauritania -- where Japanese, Chinese and European Union fleets have been allowed access -- shows "a dramatic fall in catches," including a 50 percent drop in octopus yields over the last four years.  Some species, such as sawfish, have entirely vanished from the area, it says. 

With an estimated 251 "factory-style" foreign vessels in Mauritanian waters, the report says that in granting fishing rights, "the government is using economic arguments that take into account only what return that may bring to the country and not what it might cost."  It particularly blames a lack of compliance and enforcement for the drop-off.

The report, released as part of a UNEP fisheries workshop, may also affect decisions in Bangladesh over exploiting fish resources there.  Although the UNEP says the Bangladeshi marine stocks "could generate employment and millions of dollars of foreign exchange earnings for one of the world's poorest countries," Executive Director Klaus Toepfer warns that the industry will not be sustainable if "too many, often heavily subsided fleets chase too few fish" (UNEP release, March 15).

In related news, the three nations whose waters cover the Benguela Current, one of the world's most productive fishing grounds, launched a joint initiative earlier this month to work out a sustainable management system for the economically vital ecosystem.

The three countries -- Angola, Namibia and South Africa -- have contributed $16 million to the project, while the Global Environment Facility has added $15.2 million through the U.N. Development Program.  An additional $7 million has been raised from other sources (Namibia Economist, March 8).

For a UNEP release on overfishing in Argentina and Senegal, click here.