Supporting scientists to share knowledge on small pelagic fish in North West Africa

The Mauritanian Institute for research in oceanography and fisheries (IMROP) organized a symposium on small pelagic fish in North West Africa from 24^th to 26 May 2022 at the “Palais de Congrès” in Nouakchott. The event benefitted from the technical and financial support of FAO (Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem, EAF-Nansen Programme, NFISR); it was well attended, in-person and virtually, by researchers, fishing industry, policy makers from Mauritania, Senegal, Morocco, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Spain, Germany and Russia. A total of forty presentations were given, organized in five sessions touching upon a wide range of topics spanning from species ecology to governance. Strong messages and conclusions that came out of the symposium are the need for collaborative and harmonized fisheries management across the sub-region; the social, economic and food security importance of small pelagic fish that are currently undergoing increasing pressures; the emergence of new management systems with all the difficulties it entails (e.g. quota systems as opposed to managing fishing effort; multi use of marine waters). Data generated by the EAF-Nansen Programme were at the basis of a high number of communications. A promising young generation of scientists was well represented on different topics (nutrition, food safety, fisheries biology, stock assessment).