The European Union ambassador to Senegal assured Wednesday that European boats had a minimal impact on the fishing sector in this country where the new authorities requested their assessment on the same day, after foreign vessels were accused of make artisanal fishermen more precarious.
The Senegalese Ministry of Fisheries broke on Monday with the opacity that has long characterized the sector by publishing a list of vessels authorized to fish in Senegalese waters. It lists 132 industrial vessels flying the Senegalese flag, 19 European ones and more than 17,400 artisanal canoes.
“The European Union has nothing to hide”
The agreement in force since 2019 between the European Union and Senegal “represents less than 1% of fishing in Senegal”, declared the EU ambassador to Senegal, Jean-Marc Pisani, during a conference press conference on the EU-Senegal partnership organized a few hours earlier in Dakar. This agreement expires in November and must give rise to an evaluation by the Europeans before the opening of new negotiations with the Senegalese side. The diplomat recognized that this agreement gave rise to “many different perceptions” in Senegal. But, he added, “the European Union has nothing to hide. The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement is public, transparent and available.”
European fishermen “are allowed to fish a quota of 10,000 tonnes (per year) under the fishing agreement. They fish 3,000 (while) the total catch in Senegal is 400,000 tonnes per year,” assured Jean-Marc Pisani. The agreement is supervised by European and Senegalese scientists who evaluate the resource, and the Europeans only fish surplus stocks and only two varieties that the Senegalese do not fish, tuna and black hake, he said.
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