onispa nouadhibou

What onispa nouadhibou does

ONISPA (Office Nationale d'Inspection Sanitaire des Produits de la Pêche et de l'Aquaculture) is the Mauritanian government agency mandated with sanitary inspection and quality assurance for fishery and aquaculture products. Established on March 13, 2007 by Decree 2007-066 under the supervision of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (MPEM), the organization operates as the sole authorized sanitary inspection body in the country, covering processing establishments, artisanal and industrial fishing vessels, landing infrastructure, production zones, and final product certification. It serves Mauritanian fishery processing establishments, fishing operators, fishery exporters, and the domestic market through direct inspection and certification services across all ten of Mauritania's wilayas.

The organization's technical platform centers on four ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories (two chemistry and two microbiology) split between Nouadhibou (headquarters) and Nouakchott (antenna office). These laboratories perform chemical testing for heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Fe), pesticides, PAHs, and radioactivity, alongside microbiological, biotoxin (ASP, PSP, DSP), and bacteriological analyses. Inspection services themselves are accredited to ISO/IEC 17020:2012 by TUNAC (Tunisian Accreditation Council), with active scope extension underway to cover factory vessel inspection. ONISPA applies HACCP principles for risk-based sanitary assessment and operates a digital system for first sale certificates. The organization is recognized as a regional reference, having trained inspection personnel from eight West African countries.

ONISPA's revenue model is hybrid: predominantly government-funded under MPEM supervision, supplemented by fee-based laboratory analysis services contracted by private sector enterprises and by international donor support (JICA, GIZ, EU, AFSCA Belgium cooperation, COLEACP). Customer segments are segmented vertically — primary commercial users are fishery processing establishments, artisanal and coastal fishing operators, and fishery exporters requiring export certifications, with secondary segments covering shellfish production zones and the domestic market. The organization maintains an institutional website, social media presence, and conducts sensitization workshops and training events as its primary stakeholder engagement channels.

Name

onispa nouadhibou

Legal name

Office Nationale d'Inspection Sanitaire des Produits de la Pêche et de l'Aquaculture (ONISPA)

Website

https://onispa.mr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ONISPA is the Mauritanian government agency mandated to conduct sanitary inspection, laboratory analysis, and certification of fishery and aquaculture products across Mauritania, serving processing establishments, fishing operators, and exporters through four ISO-accredited laboratories under MPEM supervision.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sanitary Inspection and Certification Services

NAICS

Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Aquaculture (1125), Animal Production and Aquaculture (112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAAAO

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

SECONDARYAFALADAE

Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Regulatory Compliance Testing & Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA, HACCP)

SECONDARYAFAEANAE

Aquaculture & Fish Health Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

SECONDARYAFACAJAE

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Audit Readiness (Food Safety, Environmental, Labor)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Farm Management & Operational Advisory Services

SECONDARYAFALAMAL

Seafood & Aquaculture Certification Services (MSC/ASC/BAP)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Certification Services (Organic, Non-GMO, etc.)

SECONDARYBPADANAF

Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) & Food Safety Regulatory Cooperation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

Keywords

• Sanitary inspection services
• Fishery product certification
• Laboratory testing services
• Aquaculture quality assurance
• Food safety compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Nouadhibou

HQ country

Mauritania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Analysis Services: Fee-based laboratory analysis services provided to private sector enterprises including chemical and microbiological testing of water, ice, and fishery products. Revenue generated from service contracts with processing establishments and fishing operators.
2. Inspection and Certification Services: Government-funded inspection and sanitary certification services for fishery products destined for domestic consumption and export. Operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (MPEM).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ONISPA is the national government office mandated to perform sanitary inspection and certification of fishery and aquaculture products in Mauritania. It conducts on-site inspection of processing establishments, fishing vessels, landing infrastructure, and production zones, and issues sanitary certificates required for domestic distribution and export. The agency also operates four ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories (two chemistry, two microbiology) in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott for chemical and microbiological analysis of fishery products, water, and the aquatic environment.

Product overview

ONISPA (Office National d'Inspection Sanitaire des Produits de la Pêche et de l'Aquaculture) is a Mauritanian government agency providing sanitary inspection and quality assurance services for fishery and aquaculture products. The organization operates through two main departments: the Sanitary Inspection Department (DIS) covering establishments, fishing vessels, landing infrastructure, and production zones, and the Chemistry-Microbiology and Aquatic Environment Monitoring Department (DCM-SMA) conducting laboratory analyses. Four accredited laboratories (two chemistry and two microbiology) serve Nouadhibou and Nouakchott sites. Services include inspection, laboratory testing, product certification, quality management system support, and digital certificate services. The structure comprises headquarters in Nouadhibou with an antenna in Nouakchott.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sanitary Inspection Services for Fishery Products
• Laboratory Analysis Services
• Sanitary Product Certification
• Quality Management System (SMQ) Services
• Digitalization of First Sale Certificates

Quantifiable outcome

• First laboratories in Mauritania to achieve ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in 2013
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• AFSCA (Agence Fédérale pour la Sécurité de la Chaîne Alimentaire, Belgium)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2024Study visit partnership with Belgian Federal Agency for Food Chain Safety (AFSCA) conducted February 19-23, 2024 in Brussels. Delegation of 5 ONISPA officials participated to study ISO/IEC 17020 implementation, inspection planning, complaints management, internal audits, and technical supervision. Visit supported preparation for extending ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation scope for factory vessel inspection.
• Université de Nouakchott El-Aasriya (UNA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2021Framework partnership agreement signed between ONISPA and Université de Nouakchott El-Aasriya (UNA) on April 9, 2021. The agreement aims to develop staff competencies and establish partnerships with scientific institutions. Collaboration includes evaluation, partnership, and professional integration initiatives at UNA.
• COLEACPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean-African organization supporting agricultural trade, listed as international partner contributing to ONISPA's technical cooperation and capacity building programs.
• PQAO (Programme Qualité Aquaculture Océan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional aquaculture quality program mentioned as supporting ONISPA's technical and equipment development initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AFSCA (Agence Fédérale pour la Sécurité de la Chaîne Alimentaire): Belgium's federal agency for food chain safety, which directly partnered with ONISPA in 2024 and serves as a comparable national-level inspection and certification authority, though with a far broader scope spanning all food categories rather than fishery specialization.
• EFSA (European Food Safety Authority): EU-level food safety authority that sets the standards ONISPA's inspection regime must satisfy to maintain access to European fishery markets; provides the regulatory benchmark against which ONISPA's accreditations are evaluated.
• CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency): Canada's national food inspection authority with ISO 17025 accredited laboratories and ISO 17020 inspection accreditation, structurally comparable to ONISPA's accreditation model though broader in food sector scope.
• FSA (Food Standards Agency, UK): UK food safety regulator with responsibility for fishery product safety and certification, sharing ONISPA's mission of consumer protection through inspection and laboratory analysis.
• FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration): U.S. regulator with seafood-specific Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) inspection programs that parallel ONISPA's mandate and HACCP-based risk assessment approach for fishery products.
• ANSES (Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'Alimentation): France's national food safety agency with laboratory accreditation, risk assessment, and inspection functions analogous to ONISPA's mandate, but operating across all food categories at significantly greater scale.

Others

• SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance): Global private-sector testing, inspection, and certification company that competes with government agencies in fishery product inspection and HACCP verification services, representing a potential private-sector alternative model for the functions ONISPA performs.
• Ministère des Pêches et de l'Économie Maritime (Mauritania): ONISPA's direct supervisory parent ministry; while not a peer in operational terms, it sets the policy framework within which ONISPA executes its inspection mandate and is listed as ONISPA's tutelle on its official website.

Regional players

• IMROP (Institut Mauritanien de Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches): Mauritanian sister research organization from which ONISPA was separated in 2007; operates in the same Mauritanian fisheries ecosystem and shares historical lineage, covering scientific research while ONISPA covers inspection.

Direct peers

• Direction des Pêches du Sénégal: Senegal's national fisheries authority, comparable to ONISPA in West African geography and fishery focus; both serve as inspection and regulatory bodies for their respective national fishing industries and have participated in ONISPA's regional training programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onispa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@onispa
• Facebookfacebook.com/onispa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onispa-nouadhibou

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about onispa nouadhibou