{"id":1688,"date":"2025-04-23T20:22:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T20:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/?p=1688"},"modified":"2025-07-22T15:09:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:09:59","slug":"the-great-fish-robbery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/stories\/the-great-fish-robbery\/","title":{"rendered":"The great fish robbery"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The great fish robbery\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part of Land and Ocean Grabbing<\/b> <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

Growing vulnerability in fishing communities<\/a><\/h3>

Cape Verde - 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

Abuse in the Palm Oil Industry<\/a><\/h3>

Liberia - 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Portraits of palm oil farmers<\/a><\/h3>

Liberia - 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Not so sweet<\/a><\/h3>

Ghana - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cocoa farmers portraits<\/a><\/h3>

Ghana - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Land for sugarcane<\/a><\/h3>

Malawi - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sugarcane workers portraits<\/a><\/h3>

Malawi - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

Our land our nature<\/a><\/h3>

Tanzania - 2021<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Life in the Boma<\/a><\/h3>

Tanzania - 2021<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When the Senegal Sea runs dry<\/a><\/h3>

Senegal - 2020<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Protein drying<\/a><\/h3>

Senegal - 2020<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fishing in dangerous waters<\/a><\/h3>

Senegal - 2020<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

The great fish robbery<\/a><\/h3>

Mauritania - 2019<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

Bloody batteries<\/a><\/h3>

Kolwezi, DR Congo - 2019<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The unstoppable Chinese demand, pushing fish flour price rise to record levels, pushed concerned Companies to focus on Western Africa, a very rich supply source, New plants are built along Mauritania coast and global trade interests are endangering local communities\u2019 livelihood. Based on the recent report by Greenpeace International \u201cA Waste of Fish\u201d, a wasteful of hundred thousand of fish tons suitable for human food is occurring to meet the expanding fishmeal and fish oil industry, with a potential impact on more than 40 million African consumers. Fishing boats coming from Asia, Europe and Western Africa illegally raid waters preserved for local people, thus violating the fishing catch regulations. The magazine \u201cFrontiers in Marine Science\u201d published a report according to which the illegal fishing \u2013 not reported nor governed \u2013 costs 2,3 billion of US dollars a year to Western Africa economies. Based on the most recent estimates by FAO, most of small pelagic stocks off Western Africa is over-exploited and in the past 25 years the overall catch more than doubled. Yet, between 2014 and 2018, in Mauritania fishmeal and fish oils export doubled, making this Country the biggest exporter in the region, followed by Morocco. Furthermore, climate change and consequent waters warming is causing the fish flow shift. Satellites data show the sea off Mauritania are warning faster than any other part of the equatorial belt, known as \u201carea of tropical convergence\u201d. Nowadays, traditional fishermen must face both new industrial predators and climate change. \u201cLife is tough for anyone working here \u201c \u2013 Sily Bakary says when embarks from Nouakchott beach with some more hundreds of fishermen, to unload the catch from a pirogue \u2013 \u201c but we are fishermen and this is our life, where else could we go?\u201d (Text by\u00a0Benedetta Cortesi<\/strong>).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish transport. \u201cWolof\u201d is the name of the ethnic population carrying the fish in heavy crates on the head, protected only by a small cushion. They go back and forth to complete the catch unloading.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Awaiting pirogues coming back with the fish.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish transported from pirogues just landed on the beach. \u201cWolof\u201d is the name of the ethnic population carrying the fish in heavy crates on the head, protected only by a small cushion. Their daily income varies from 3.000 to 5.000 MRO (approx. 8\/12 Euro) based on the number of travels from the pirogue to the yard just across the beach, where the transportation lorries are parked.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Kids on the beach waiting for fish to fall down from carriers\u2019 crates.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. A kid is waiting fish transport. Sometimes a fish falls down from a crate and \u2013 immediately \u2013 kids and elderly people run to grab and sell it.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Every day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. small pirogues return from fishing after an entire day spent raising nets.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Carriers walk, running back and forth, until the fish is completely unloaded from the pirogue.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. A carrier with a fish he\u2019ll sell to women working the local trade. It\u2019s common for the carriers to hide some fish in their trousers or jackets so to sell then to the women waiting on the beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. A carrier is denying to give some fish to a beggar. Many poor people stands every day on the beach looking for food.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Carriers are just done with unloading the catch from the pirogues just arrived to the beach. They walk proudly, running back and forth, until the fish is completely unloaded from the pirogue<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Women waiting for fishermen return. Nouakchott beach is plenty of women preparing and selling the fresh fish for the local trade.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. A slow line of men, wearing their waxed jacket, starts; they enter the water, reach the pirogues, and receive from the fishermen a crate full of fish they carry on their heads, back to the beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Women selling fish in the \u201cPort de Peche\u201d beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish destined to foreign plants then transformed into fish oil and fish meal.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. The \u201cPort de Peche\u201d beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish is collected before being transformed into oil and fishmeal.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Men busy in preparing fish crates for the nearby market; later on, they will load them up the lorries driving the catch to those processing plants producing fishmeal and fish oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nouakchott,
Nouakchott, Mauritania. Crates of fish destined to foreign plants and then exported for fish oil and fish meal.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch the video<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Related news<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>

Luca Catalano Gonzaga at Visa pour l\u2019Image<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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Article \u201cOcean grabbing\u201d, by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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Dialogues on Africa<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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Exhibition \u201cOcean Grabbing\u201d<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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The great fish robbery by Luca Catalano Gonzaga Part of Land and Ocean Grabbing Growing vulnerability in fishing communities Cape Verde – 2023 Abuse in the Palm Oil Industry Liberia – 2023 Portraits of palm oil farmers Liberia – 2023 Not so sweet Ghana – 2022 Cocoa farmers portraits Ghana – 2022 Land for sugarcane Malawi – 2022 Sugarcane workers portraits Malawi – 2022 Our land our nature Tanzania – 2021 Life in the Boma Tanzania – 2021 When the Senegal Sea runs dry Senegal – 2020 Protein drying Senegal – 2020 Fishing in dangerous waters Senegal – 2020 The great fish robbery Mauritania – 2019 Bloody batteries Kolwezi, DR Congo – 2019 Growing vulnerability in fishing communities Cape Verde – 2023 Abuse in the Palm Oil Industry Liberia – 2023 Portraits of palm oil farmers Liberia – 2023 Not so sweet Ghana – 2022 Cocoa farmers portraits Ghana – 2022 Land for sugarcane Malawi – 2022 Sugarcane workers portraits Malawi – 2022 Our land our nature Tanzania – 2021 Life in the Boma Tanzania – 2021 When the Senegal Sea runs dry Senegal – 2020 Protein drying Senegal – 2020 Fishing in dangerous waters Senegal – 2020 The great fish robbery Mauritania – 2019 Bloody batteries Kolwezi, DR Congo – 2019 The unstoppable Chinese demand, pushing fish flour price rise to record levels, pushed concerned Companies to focus on Western Africa, a very rich supply source, New plants are built along Mauritania coast and global trade interests are endangering local communities\u2019 livelihood. Based on the recent report by Greenpeace International \u201cA Waste of Fish\u201d, a wasteful of hundred thousand of fish tons suitable for human food is occurring to meet the expanding fishmeal and fish oil industry, with a potential impact on more than 40 million African consumers. Fishing boats coming from Asia, Europe and Western Africa illegally raid waters preserved for local people, thus violating the fishing catch regulations. The magazine \u201cFrontiers in Marine Science\u201d published a report according to which the illegal fishing \u2013 not reported nor governed \u2013 costs 2,3 billion of US dollars a year to Western Africa economies. Based on the most recent estimates by FAO, most of small pelagic stocks off Western Africa is over-exploited and in the past 25 years the overall catch more than doubled. Yet, between 2014 and 2018, in Mauritania fishmeal and fish oils export doubled, making this Country the biggest exporter in the region, followed by Morocco. Furthermore, climate change and consequent waters warming is causing the fish flow shift. Satellites data show the sea off Mauritania are warning faster than any other part of the equatorial belt, known as \u201carea of tropical convergence\u201d. Nowadays, traditional fishermen must face both new industrial predators and climate change. \u201cLife is tough for anyone working here \u201c \u2013 Sily Bakary says when embarks from Nouakchott beach with some more hundreds of fishermen, to unload the catch from a pirogue \u2013 \u201c but we are fishermen and this is our life, where else could we go?\u201d (Text by\u00a0Benedetta Cortesi). Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish transport. \u201cWolof\u201d is the name of the ethnic population carrying the fish in heavy crates on the head, protected only by a small cushion. They go back and forth to complete the catch unloading. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Awaiting pirogues coming back with the fish. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish transported from pirogues just landed on the beach. \u201cWolof\u201d is the name of the ethnic population carrying the fish in heavy crates on the head, protected only by a small cushion. Their daily income varies from 3.000 to 5.000 MRO (approx. 8\/12 Euro) based on the number of travels from the pirogue to the yard just across the beach, where the transportation lorries are parked. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Kids on the beach waiting for fish to fall down from carriers\u2019 crates. Nouakchott, Mauritania. A kid is waiting fish transport. Sometimes a fish falls down from a crate and \u2013 immediately \u2013 kids and elderly people run to grab and sell it. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Every day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. small pirogues return from fishing after an entire day spent raising nets. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Carriers walk, running back and forth, until the fish is completely unloaded from the pirogue. Nouakchott, Mauritania. A carrier with a fish he\u2019ll sell to women working the local trade. It\u2019s common for the carriers to hide some fish in their trousers or jackets so to sell then to the women waiting on the beach. Nouakchott, Mauritania. A carrier is denying to give some fish to a beggar. Many poor people stands every day on the beach looking for food. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Carriers are just done with unloading the catch from the pirogues just arrived to the beach. They walk proudly, running back and forth, until the fish is completely unloaded from the pirogue Nouakchott, Mauritania. Women waiting for fishermen return. Nouakchott beach is plenty of women preparing and selling the fresh fish for the local trade. Nouakchott, Mauritania. A slow line of men, wearing their waxed jacket, starts; they enter the water, reach the pirogues, and receive from the fishermen a crate full of fish they carry on their heads, back to the beach. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Women selling fish in the \u201cPort de Peche\u201d beach. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish destined to foreign plants then transformed into fish oil and fish meal. Nouakchott, Mauritania. The \u201cPort de Peche\u201d beach. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Fish is collected before being transformed into oil and fishmeal. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Men busy in preparing fish crates for the nearby market; later on, they will load them up the lorries driving the catch to those processing plants producing fishmeal and fish oil. Nouakchott, Mauritania. Crates of fish destined to foreign plants and then exported for fish oil and fish meal. Watch the video Related news Luca Catalano Gonzaga at Visa pour l\u2019Image Article \u201cOcean grabbing\u201d, by Luca Catalano Gonzaga Dialogues on Africa Exhibition \u201cOcean Grabbing\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1688"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8832,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1688\/revisions\/8832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}