Page 10 - Mauritius REPORT

environmental issues raised. For example, the Mangrove Propagation Programme has been highly
successful in offsetting past mangrove depletion.

Sustainable f?sheries

The situation
In 2019, GDP stood at $ 11.7 billion, with the fishery sector playing a significant role and with huge
potential for growth (MOEMRFS, 2017). In 2017, the fishery sector grew by 4 per cent contributing
Country Profile
approximately Rs 4 billion to the Mauritian economy. According to the World Bank, the total fisheries
production in Mauritius sits at 16300 metric tons. The average annual capture growth between the
year 2000-2015 was estimated at 3.2% with the aquaculture growth being estimated at 15.7 per
The Republic of Mauritius
cent (World Bank, 2017).

Target 14.4: Sustainable f?shing
UN definition: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and
unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management
plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce
maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics.

The challenge

Capture f?shery
Fisheries and aquaculture play an important socio-economic role in Mauritius. The country’s per capita
fish consumption was estimated at 23.2 kg/person/year in 2016. In light of this great contribution, an
independent Fisheries Ministry was established in 2012.

The capture fisheries are from artisanal fisheries around Mauritius and Rodrigues Islands and from
semi-industrial operations on Saya de Malha and Chagos fishing banks; and in 2017 amounted
to about 25,000 tonnes. Current exploitation has reached a maximum and now the focus is on
managing sustainable production and value addition on the fisheries in these fishing banks. Exports
in 2017 of fish and fishery products were valued at US $434 million and in the same year, imports of
tunas for local consumption and for re-exports accounted for almost 65 percent of total imports of
fish and fishery products (US $368 million) (FAO, 2019).

Joint -venture and high-seas fishing are also important. Mauritius has developed into a Seafood
Hub and a centre of fishing business in the Western Indian Ocean. It has integrated shipping, reefer
vessel charter, quay space, cold storage, and seafood processing, marketing and distribution into a
special zone. In 2017 the fleet was estimated to contain 1 731 vessels, most undecked. Total fisheries
employment was 29,055 people. About 99 per cent of these were marine coastal fisheries with the
remainder in full-time deep-sea fishing. Four percent of the people employed in marine coastal
fishing were women.

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