EU vessels to stop fishing in Senegal waters after accord expires

A vendor waits to buy fresh fish from fishermen in Fass Boye, Senegal, March 20, 2024. Like many coastal communities, the village about 100 km north of Senegal's capital, Dakar, has seen hundreds of its residents leave in search of more opportunity. Diminishing fish stocks and soaring living costs have made it hard to make ends meet, locals say. They blame overfishing by international trawlers and say their small boats can't compete. © Zohra Bensemra / Reuters

The EU says it will not renew a fishing agreement between Brussels and Dakar following "shortcomings" over illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The accord between the EU and Senegal, in force since 2019, is due to expire at midnight on Sunday.

Jean-Marc Pisani, EU ambassador for West Africa said the agreement would not be renewed for the time being after Senegal failed to act against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The European Commission had notified the Senegalese government on 27 May of "serious shortcomings" and "failures in monitoring, control and surveillance systems" for Senegalese-flagged ships in extra-territorial waters as well as for foreign ships in the port of Dakar.

European boats will stop fishing in Senegal's exclusive economic zone from midnight on 17 November, Pisani told reporters in Dakar on Tuesday.

Senegal will no longer receive any financial contribution under the agreement.

"These European boats will be able – it will be up to the shipowners – to continue fishing elsewhere”, he said, citing agreements between the EU and Senegal's neighbours: The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Cape Verde.

€8.5 million from EU since 2019

Under the accord, EU boats – mainly Spanish – are authorised to catch 10,000 tonnes of fish per year.

In return, Senegal has received 5.5 billion CFA francs (8.5 million euros) since 2019.

The halt in fishing in Senegalese waters will impact 18 vessels, which catch tropical tuna and hake. Pisani said that did not represent any real competition for the Senegalese fishing sector.

He also underlined that European boats had brought up only 10,000 tonnes of fish in the last five years.

Senegalese fishermen working mainly on traditional wooden boats blame foreign vessels for a shortage of fish, but the EU says its ships have fished far below their authorised quota since 2019. AFP - SEYLLOU

Fishermen left stranded as Senegal's most sought-after catch moves north

Fishing, a key sector in Senegal

The accord has, however, become increasingly criticised in Senegal where fishing is a key sector, providing a direct or indirect livelihood for some 600,000 Senegalese out of a population of around 18 million.

The 50,000 or so Senegalese fishermen who work mainly on traditional wooden boats known as pirogues regularly complain about competition from foreign factory ships, which they blame for a shortage of fish.

The controversy over foreign fishing off Senegal was heightened with the election last March of Bassirou Diomaye Faye to the presidency.

Faye has promised to restore sovereignty on fishing and other issues.

This is not the first time the EU and Senegal have interrupted their fisheries protocol. The agreement was stopped between 2006 and 2014 "allowing both parties to assess and renegotiate the conditions", the EU said.

At least 26 migrants perish off Senegal's coast in desperate bid to leave the country

(with newswires)