Résumé
Annual trawl surveys of the Mauritanian continental shelf conducted between 1987-99 provide data on the demersal fish communities and related species. Exploited species dominate the marine communities. Abundance Biomass Comparison plots were used to assess the impact of the growing commercial fisheries. Assemblages are diagnosed as stressed in a manner similar to those identified off the coast of Senegal. However, no trend in this impact was observed over the time period studied.