World Fisheries Day, celebrated on November 21, brought together stakeholders in Saint-Louis who raised awareness about the degradation of fish stocks and called on the government to uphold its commitments to sustainable fishing. Fishmongers, fishermen, processors, and professional organizations demanded urgent measures to preserve their livelihoods, guarantee food security, strengthen transparency in resource management, and better protect communities exposed to risks at sea, particularly at the mouth of the Senegal River.

Fatou Diagne, vice-president of the Union of Fishmongers, points out that the demands revolve around eleven points, including the complete publication of the register of vessels authorized to fish, in order to effectively combat illegal fishing. The organizations are also calling for a freeze on the construction of fishmeal and fish oil factories, as well as environmental audits to verify their compliance. They are also insisting on the signing, pending for fifteen years, of the decree recognizing artisanal fish processing professions. Membership in the international FiTI initiative, promised in 2016, also remains unfulfilled.

In Saint-Louis, a major concern remains: the dangerous river mouth, which local organizations say has caused more than 700 deaths. Fama Sarr, a fish processor, is calling for alternative solutions, emphasizing that fishermen risk their lives every day despite efforts to modernize their canoes.

The stakeholders also denounce their exclusion from negotiations on offshore gas exploitation, despite being the first to be impacted. They demand to participate in the discussions and call on the government to clearly define social and environmental safeguards before any new phase of exploitation.

Other demands include reserving sardinella for national players, an independent assessment of the fishing agreement with the European Union, setting financial compensation for fishing in oil and gas projects, and freezing licenses targeting small pelagic fish, which are already overexploited.

 

Professionals are therefore calling for sustainable resource management to safeguard a sector vital to the national economy and the survival of thousands of families.