海角大神

In Mauritania鈥檚 second-largest city, Nouadhibou, 65-foot pirogues painted baby blue fill the harbor. The boats, outfitted with outboard motors and numbering up to 7,500 on any given day, are all aiming for the same catch: the common octopus.聽

Fifty thousand fishers depend on the West African nation鈥檚 octopus trade. In the first quarter of 2023, Mauritanian octopus represented nearly 40% of Japan鈥檚 total importation of the delicacy (more than 10,000 tons). In Nouadhibou, residents don鈥檛 use the French, Spanish, or Arabic word for octopus. They use tako, the Japanese one. The highest standard for octopus is 鈥淛apan quality,鈥� according to fishers and exporters.

The Japanese 鈥� and the Spanish 鈥� love octopus. People in Osaka adore takoyaki, battered balls with octopus inside. Small bars in Tokyo, izakayas, serve up octopus deep-fried or as sashimi. In the Galicia region of Spain, a boiled tentacle spiced with hot paprika 鈥� pulpo 谩 feira 鈥� is deeply ingrained in the culture.聽

But trouble looms. Beyah Meissa, of the Mauritanian Institute for Oceanographic Research and Fisheries, says the fishing industry has 鈥渙verexploited鈥� the octopus stock, despite a national quota system in place since 2016. 鈥淭here has been an increase in the number of boats fishing for octopus here because the price is also going up,鈥� Dr. Meissa says. He adds that fishers have been 鈥渃atching much more than they should.鈥�

Overfishing threatens more than Mauritania鈥檚 $313 million octopus industry. The common octopus is considered the most intelligent invertebrate. It has 500 million neurons, most of them in its arms. It can solve puzzles, use tools, and even dream, according to researchers.

Nathalie Bertrams

Nouadhibou, Mauritania鈥檚 second-largest city, has up to 7,500 boats looking for the common octopus on any given day.

Nathalie Bertrams

Atigh Boucavar (front), a fisher in Nouadhibou, has plied his trade since 1996. He uses an octopus trap that the Chinese introduced.

Nathalie Bertrams

A factory worker in Nouadhibou checks a load of octopus. If fuel from a boat spills, the catch spoils.

Nathalie Bertrams

Masaaki Nakamura, a fisheries scientist photographed in Tokyo last year, came to Mauritania in the 1970s and taught people how to fish for octopus with trap pots.

Nathalie Bertrams

Octopus is for sale in a supermarket in Tokyo. Much of Mauritania鈥檚 octopus is exported to Japan.

Nathalie Bertrams

Crowds come out in Osaka, Japan, to a market where octopus, called tako in Japanese, is sold.