Mbour, May 10 (APS) – Fishing stakeholders from Petite Côte (Mbour-center) welcomed Thursday the publication of the list of vessels authorized to fish in waters under Senegalese jurisdiction.
“We fully welcome this decision. For a long time, fishing stakeholders have wanted to have this list, to know the real beneficiaries of fishing licenses in our waters,” said Omar Guèye, president of the Mbour fishing quay, one of the largest in the country.
Believing that this decision, which came at the right time, “contributes to transparency in the management of our fishery resources”.
“It is a good initiative, especially since this publication comes in a context marked by serious problems in the fishing sector,” noted for his part, Thierno Mbengue, president of the National Association of fishmongers of the Senegal.
The Ministry of Fisheries made public on Monday a list of 151 industrial fishing vessels authorized to fish in Senegalese waters. In this catalog, there are 132 Senegalese boats and 19 foreign ones.
These fishing licenses, issued by the former government, are valid from January 1 to December 31, 2024.
“We must reduce the number of vessels, so that artisanal fishing can strengthen,” recommended Omar Guèye, encouraging the new authorities to maintain these measures and to carry out an audit of the vessels.
He believes that maintaining this decision will make it possible to preserve the fishing resources of Senegalese waters.
Mr. Mbengue, president of the National Association of Fishmongers of Senegal, suggested holding a presidential council on fishing to review the sector.
“I think we need to move towards a presidential council on fishing, bring together all the players to carry out a diagnosis of the sector and provide possible solutions to all the problems,” he said.
He also called for an “extension of the biological rest period by two to three months, to allow the resource to develop”.
DOB/ADI/AB/AKS
