Greenpeace is concerned about the new agreement between the European Union and Senegal, and its protocol, which allow 38 EU vessels to access fisheries resources for a total compensation of 13 930 000 (9 137 481 010 FCFA) for five years1.
“It is clear that the agreement does not fall in line with the reasons given by the Senegalese authorities for its renewal, namely the revitalization of the port of Dakar. Actually, this agreement only maintains the current situation of eight European pole and line vessels which supply the local market in tuna and adds 28 seiners which are allowed to operate without any obligation to land their catches locally. The most worrying is the inclusion of two bottom trawlers for hake despite the recommendation by the last inter-ministerial council on fisheries which held on June 2013 in Dakar 2 to freeze the fishing effort on this stock,” said Marie Suzanne Traoré, Greenpeace Africa Oceans Campaigner.
The signature of this agreement comes as Senegal is in the process of revising its fishing code, which still needs to be improved (amongst other things, through a broader participation of civil society, more transparency and accountability) to ensure a better management of fisheries, and preferential conditions of access to and exploitation of resources based on transparent criteria for environmentally and socially sustainable practices.
“By signing this document, the government of Senegal has decided to ignore the voice of Senegalese artisanal fishermen who set preconditions before any form of agreement is signed in public statements,3 “added Marie Suzanne.
Senegalese authorities failed to inform stakeholders on the progress of the negotiations and on the reasons for this premature signature, which Greenpeace considers should have been delayed until after the adoption of the new Code which will hopefully lay the foundations for sustainable and equitable fisheries.
Senegal needs to develop a comprehensive long-term policy, which ensures the conservation and sustainable exploitation of marine resources for the benefit of all Senegalese people, taking into account the entire chain of production, from sea through processing to final market.
2014 AllAfrica