[ecr] 

“We are bound with bilateral agreements to grant Algeria fishing quotas in Mauritanian territorial waters, but Algerian fishermen face excessive access fees. We are currently negotiating with our Mauritanian neighbors to lower these fees,” stated Badani on Algerian Radio.

According to the Minister, several Algerian operators are already ready to move into Mauritanian territorial waters as soon as a solution is found to transport their production and sell it on the national market.

“Negotiations with the Mauritanian side are progressing very well, and I hope that a solution to this issue will be found in the next few days,” he stressed.

As for the import of second-hand vessels intended for deep-sea fishing (over 40 meters in length), the Minister affirmed that the process of examining applications had already begun, stressing that this measure would mainly help reinforce the presence of Algerian vessels on the high seas.

He also pointed out that the Ministry had set up a digital platform to facilitate the import of used engines (less than five years old) for fishing professionals, noting that almost 40% of the Algerian fishing fleet had engine-related problems.

Badani emphasized the importance of the projects launched for the construction of fishing vessels, noting that his department has so far registered nine investments in this field, enabling the commissioning of three large vessels, while the manufacturing of 11 others is underway.

The Minister also stated that Algeria was seeking to increase its share of bluefin tuna, which this year reached 2,046 tons, underlining the importance of fattening projects currently being launched to achieve this goal.[/ecr]