END OF THE FISHERIES AGREEMENT BETWEEN SENEGAL AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

The protocol implementing the fisheries agreement between Senegal and the European Union, signed five years ago, will end on November 17, 2024. The European Union has announced that no renewal of the protocol will be considered. for the moment, forcing European ships to leave Senegalese waters on this date. This decision marks a turning point in relations between the two parties and comes in a context of increased fight against illegal, undeclared and unregulated (IUU) fishing, an area in which the EU considers that Senegal’s efforts remain insufficient.

On May 27, the European Commission flagged Senegal as a “non-cooperating” country in the fight against IUU fishing, a warning motivated by several years of discussions without significant progress according to the EU. This “zero tolerance” message from the EU imposes strict requirements on Senegal for the renewal of the agreement, including strengthening controls and traceability measures in the fishing sector.

As of November 17, European vessels will have to cease their activities in Senegalese waters, marking the end of their operation there. At the same time, Senegal will no longer receive the financial contribution linked to this agreement, thus impacting revenues linked to licenses and financial support from the EU for the fishing sector.

Discussions between Senegal and the EU are continuing, with a formal dialogue having been initiated during the Joint Commission on November 5 and 6 in Brussels. Both sides committed to learning lessons from the current agreement and examining the conditions for a possible resumption. With this in mind, the EU says it is ready to support Senegal’s efforts to reform and strengthen fishing control mechanisms.