For control purposes, any coastal or offshore fishing vessel authorized to fish in the Mauritanian exclusive economic zone is required to have on board a transponder allowing its identification by the units and monitoring devices of the national institution responsible for monitoring fisheries. The standards and technical characteristics of the transponder are defined by Order of the Minister responsible for Fisheries.

1 – All Mauritanian vessels of 300 gross tons or more engaged in international voyages, or of 500 gross tons or more engaged in domestic voyages, as well as passenger vessels, whatever their size and navigation, must be equipped with a transponder ("AIS" system) enabling them:

• automatically provide information on its identity, position and speed to other ships, aircraft, and competent authorities,
• receive the same information from other equipped vessels,
• exchange all useful information with shore-based authorities. 2 – As a transitional measure, ships required to be equipped with the AIS system by virtue of the foregoing provisions will be subject to this obligation only if they were built before July 1, 2002, and if they are engaged only in domestic navigation. 3 – Ships fitted with a transponder must keep it in operation at all times, except in circumstances where international rules allow the protection of navigational information.