February 11, 2020, Dakar. Following the fishermen’s demonstrations in Saint Louis and their demand for fishing licenses in Mauritania, Greenpeace Africa explains the roots causes for the crisis and proposes sustainable solutions.
“In a context in which there is overfishing across all of West Africa, fishing policies should put the local population first”, says Dr. Aliou Ba, Political Advisor of Greenpeace Africa in Dakar.
The state of the fishing sector in Senegal, and in particular in the northern town of Saint-Louis that borders Mauritania, results from decades of bad management. Excessive fishing, tonnage fraud, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and the establishment of fishmeal industries are some of the failures, which shake up a population deprived of the essential resources for its survival.
Bilateral agreements on fisheries with neighboring countries are not sustainable solutions, but rather perpetuare problems and exacerbate social tensions. “The Govermnent of Senegal must work to restock the fishing capacity. Furthermore, cooperation in the management of shared fish stocks between the states of the subregion is crucial to avoid further extinction of marine species,” concluded Dr Ba.
Contact:
Dr. Aliou Ba, Greenpeace Africa Policy Advisor, + 221-78 307 10 70, [email protected]
Tal Harris, International Communications Coordinator, + 221-774643195, [email protected]
Greenpeace Africa Newsdesk: [email protected]
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