MAURITANIA, THE FISH OF DISCORD

The world in all its states

An episode from the series ARTE INVESTIGATION

Synopsis

Mauritanian waters are home to some of the Atlantic's last major fish stocks.

For decades, two powers have been vying for behind-the-scenes access: Europe and China, each with very different approaches and terms. Mauritania derives a quarter of its annual budget from this access.

But behind the diplomatic negotiations and economic interests, an entire ecosystem is deteriorating: fish stocks are collapsing, the seabed is being depleted, and biological balances are being compromised for generations to come.