Greenpeace mission to Mauritania: The Dutch shellfish industry plans to exploit a shellfish bank (Venus Rosalina) off the World heritage site the Banc d’Arguin park. The banks are situated in between 10 and 30 meters deep and can for commercial ends only be exploited with destructive bottom dredging techniques. The role of the banks in the ecosystem is not well known but there are indications that they function as a nursery for many fish species. Through its filtering activities they also seen to play a key role in creating the unique conditions for the sea grass beds of the Bank d’Arguin park. Greenpeace mission is to stop the arrival of the shellfish industry because the impacts of this fishing technique is likely to cause a cascade of unpredictable negative effects on the marine ecosystem and local fisheries. By making underwater images available of the banks, it will become clear that the banks are not just make out of shellfish but form a riche ecosystem very much like coral reefs deserving special attention. Interviews with local fishery industry will underline the difficulties the sector already has with over fishing and that introducing a destructive fishing method will accelerate the collapse of an economy dependent upon fishery resources. Drawing up sustainable management plans for this type of fishery is according to Greenpeace unrealistic regarding the failure of doing this in other areas of the World. (Sandra KLOFF)