Boats flying the European flag will stop fishing in Senegalese waters from Sunday November 17. The European Union has decided not to renew the agreement with Senegal for the moment. Reason given by Brussels: failures in the fight against illegal fishing which had been notified to Dakar and which have not been repaired.
« European boats will stop fishing in Senegal’s exclusive economic zone from midnight on November 17. These European boats will be able – it will be the choice of the shipowners – to continue to fish elsewhere », announced Tuesday, November 12, EU Ambassador Jean-Marc Pisani, invoking the existence of agreements between the Union and countries neighboring the SenegalGambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania or Cape Verde.
On May 27, Brussels notified the Senegalese authorities that there were shortcomings and progress to be made in the fight against undeclared and unregulated illegal fishing. Failures in the traceability of fish in particular.
10 billion CFA francs paid by the EU since 2019
Eighteen Spanish and French boats will therefore no longer fish in Senegalese waters. Via this agreement, they are authorized to fish 10,000 tonnes of fish per year. In return, the European Union has paid 10 billion CFA francs, or 12 million euros since 2019.
This blocked situation is not exceptional since already between 2006 and 2014, there was no fishing agreement between Brussels and Dakar.
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