- Senegalese fishermen hopeful for change under new president Faye
- Past leaders criticized for favoring foreign industrial fishing
- New president pledges to protect artisanal fishing and marine resources
Inequality is palpable to the traditional, small-scale fishermen residing at Ouakam Beach in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
A stone’s throw from where he fishes, Adama Gueye, a 58-year-old canoe captain, indicates the coast, where towering villas of the upper class, including politicians, stand lofty and mighty.
“The disparities are readily apparent to the naked eye.”
The depletion of fish stocks in the West African country, where the centuries-old custom of artisanal fishing is imperilled by foreign industrial vessels that export the fish from Senegal, further exacerbates the inequity in his opinion.
But there is cause for optimism, and that optimism is Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the new president of his country.
Faye, who was elected this week following years of political turmoil and adversity (including a recent unsuccessful attempt by outgoing leader Macky Sall to postpone the vote), is the youngest leader in Africa at the age of 44.
He is also a symbol of change for numerous disenfranchised Senegalese fishermen who believe their former leaders have wronged them.
Gueye remarked, “[Faye] is young, he was born into poverty, and he did not attend a private school overseas; he is a member of the group.” Faye is aware of the price of one kilogram of rice.
Legal fishing by industrial foreign trawlers from China and Europe, which had signed contracts with the government, has decimated Senegal’s fish stocks and left artisanal fishermen with empty nets for the past several years under President Sall.
According to fishermen, this scarcity also caused local fish prices to soar, which could have a significant impact on the nutritional consumption of the populace, given that approximately forty per cent of Senegalese animal protein comes from seafood, according to data from 2017.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the worth of Senegal’s lawful fish exports surpassed $490 million in 2018. This accounted for ten per cent of the nation’s total exports, which lagged behind phosphates, oil, and gold.
The Institute for Security Studies also estimates that foreign vessels engage in unauthorized and illicit industrial fishing in Senegal, resulting in an annual loss of $272 million.
Certain regions prohibit foreign vessels from fishing and post stringent indicators indicating the types of capture they are permitted to pursue. To avoid being monitored, however, they frequently deactivate their satellite transponders and employ unauthorized nets.
According to the Environmental Justice Foundation, the fishing industry provides over 600,000 jobs and contributes nearly 1.8 per cent to Senegal’s gross domestic product; this figure may be higher due to non-registration.
In the absence of fish, numerous occupations that rely on fishing either directly or indirectly are disrupted. A considerable proportion of fishermen opt to migrate to alternative nations or risk perilous voyages to the Canary Islands of Spain by utilizing their sailing prowess. The United Nations refugee agency recorded over 15,000 arrivals in Spain in 2023.
Now, however, the incoming president desires to alter the fate of fishermen.
“A consensus to pilfer our resources”
During his electoral platform announcement at the beginning of the month, Faye mentioned expanding the exclusive fishing zone for artisanal fishermen by an additional 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) in order to safeguard it against foreign vessels.
Additionally, he declared his intention to formulate and execute a National Strategy for the Immersion and Administration of Man-made Reefs, a concerted effort to restore ecosystems and marine habitats that have been severely harmed by decades of industrial and artisanal fishing.
Local media quoted him as saying, “We will strictly enforce the regulations on sea fishing in their entirety and without any concessions in order to end the political and complacent management of the sector.”
Faye, along with other candidates, affixed her signature to a charter advocating for sustainable fisheries prior to the vote. The charter, which was advocated for and backed by Greenpeace and Senegal’s National Coalition for Sustainable Fishing during the election campaign this month, encompassed several pledges:
- Supervision of sub-regional stock management
- Auditing of a fishing agreement with the European Union
- Provision of a portion of oil and gas revenue generated for the fishing sector
A fishing agreement between the European Union and Senegal was renewed during the Sall administration. The agreement, which had been in some form since 1979, is renewed every five years. The agreement grants European vessels authorization to fish in Senegalese waters and, in return for 800,000 euros ($863,104), permits the exportation of the fish caught. In addition, Senegal receives an additional 900,000 euros ($970,992) from the European Union for investments in artisanal fishing, stocktaking capabilities, research and data collection in the fisheries sector, and the issuance of health certifications for marine products.
However, the agreement has generated considerable controversy. The EU-Senegal agreement lacks a transparency clause pertaining to the quantity of fish exported by European vessels, in contrast to the majority of fisheries agreements. While the European Union allocates resources towards the artisanal fishing sector and fishing governance, certain fishermen, such as Gueye, contend that these investments are rendered futile in the absence of fish to capture.
The practices of Chinese and Turkish industrial vessels have also garnered significant criticism. It has not been unusual, for instance, for the government to issue licences to vessels that have engaged in illicit activities in the past. Fishmeal companies based in Senegal, which are Chinese and Spanish, have faced criticism in recent years for converting the capture into fish feed that is subsequently utilized to cultivate fish on Chinese farms. Fishermen filed suit against a Spanish fishmeal factory in 2022, alleging that it contaminated potable water.
During his tenure as president, Sall prioritized the nation’s development via international investments and negotiations. The opposition, headed by Faye and his ally Ousmane Sonko, vehemently criticized him for negotiating agreements that primarily benefited corporations and politicians engaged in resource extraction for export purposes, with minimal benefits trickling down to the general populace of Senegal.
Faye identified this as a significant complaint among the Senegalese populace against the previous administration. As a result, he launched an election campaign advocating for a reevaluation of Senegal’s natural resource export agreements with foreign nations and a receptive stance towards artisanal fishermen, who felt neglected prior to the signing of these contracts by the previous administration.
“People are migrating to Europe because the EU signed an agreement with Senegal to steal our resources,” Gueye said in reference to the thousands of Senegalese fishermen who are migrating to Europe in small boats.
“I hope Diomaye will put them in their place,” he continued, adding that the new president must also regulate the operations of industrial and artisanal fishermen and crack down on illegal fishing and illegal nets.
We maintain optimism that he will be employed by us.”
Assistance to Senegalese mariners
The fishermen could observe the impact. A 30-year-old fisherman at Ouakam Beach named Moussa Gueye (unrelated to Adama) was born into a fishing-rich family and stated that fish were abundant during the COVID-19 pandemic when restrictions limited the presence of industrial vessels.
The coordinator of the local artisanal fisheries council of Mbour, a city situated on the southern coast of Senegal, said that Sall had implemented “insufficient” measures to tackle fishing-related challenges.
“In Senegal, fisheries governance lacks transparency,” said Senghor, emphasizing the need for open data resources that detail the vessels operating in Senegalese waters, the areas where they are permitted and prohibited to fish, and the quantity of fish present.
His position aligns with the other fishermen who advocate for a reevaluation of fishing agreements.
In Senegal, fishing and migration intersect as well. Senghor stated, “The majority of fishermen are utilizing the Canary Islands as a means to reach Europe due to concerns regarding the sustainability of their fishing operations, particularly in light of the coexistence with oil extraction.”
Significant offshore natural gas reserves were identified in 2014 in the vicinity of St. Louis, Senegal. The Senegalese government and international players such as British Petroleum (BP), which has the largest interest in the project, and Kosmos Energy of the United States have both invested in the endeavour. Following the announcement of the project, European politicians conducted official visits to former President Sall in an effort to negotiate potential export agreements.
Several production delays have occurred despite the fact that the gas extraction, which was originally scheduled to commence at the beginning of the year, is expected to generate less than $1.5 billion in exports by 2025. Production of offshore crude intended for export is also anticipated to commence in the coming years.
Fishermen in St. Louis, meanwhile, have lodged complaints regarding the impact of the oil and gas rig on their operations, including the prohibition of fishing in the vicinity of the rig and the consequences for one of the largest cold water reefs globally.
A researcher and fisheries and aquaculture engineer at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar and environmental activist with the Environmental Justice Foundation, scientific research funding is also necessary.
A facility dedicated to oceanographic research could oversee fish stocks, provide reports on sustainable fishing limits, and monitor pollution levels and the rig’s influence on regional biodiversity. Diarra stated that the present fishery agreements in Senegal are byproducts of the colonial era in his nation.
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Senghor further stated, “Macky Sall has continued the system of exportation by implementing [fishing] policies.” “[Faye] must assist the Senegalese in consuming and cultivating their own fish so that they do not export the entirety of it.”
Fishermen are threatened not only by economic interests.
Upon returning to Ouakam Beach, the canoe commander, Gueye, noted that the sea had submerged the shoreline as a result of rising sea levels for the past three decades. He is hopeful that Faye will also safeguard the fishermen from the detrimental effects of climate change and address this crucial issue.
As the shoreline becomes submerged in the radiant sunset, Gueye clarifies his final caveat. Recent political unrest during the final years of Sall’s tenure has transformed him from optimistic to pessimistic regarding the new president.
He stated, “As a society, we have awoken.” “Even if [Faye] fails to perform admirably, his tenure will not exceed one term.”
