Foreign overfishing in Senegal fuels migration to Spain, a report finds

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Overfishing by overseas vessels is decimating food stocks successful the West African country of Senegal, which is successful crook fueling migration to Spain, according to a study released Tuesday.

The Environmental Justice Foundation, a London-based radical specializing successful biology and quality rights issues, said amerciable overfishing and destructive practices by overseas vessels are liable for accrued irregular migration to Spain. It based its conclusions connected interviews with fishermen successful Spain and Senegal and its anterior probe connected overseas overfishing.

The radical recovered that 57% of food stocks successful Senegal are successful a “state of collapse,” with overseas vessels playing a important relation successful declining numbers. Its investigation showed 43.7% of licensed vessels successful Senegal are foreign-controlled, predominantly of Spanish and Chinese origin.

As food populations dwindle, section fishermen are facing income loss, and galore person turned to migration arsenic a past resort. Fishing is an important economical assemblage successful Senegal that employs 3% of the workforce.

Irregular migration to the Canary Islands astir doubled successful 2024, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry, reaching 46,843. While nonstop figures aren’t known owed to a deficiency of accusation connected departures from West Africa, Senegal is 1 of the apical 3 nationalities of arrivals to the Spanish islands.

The Atlantic way from West Africa to the Canary Islands is 1 of the deadliest successful the world. The Spanish migrant rights radical Walking Borders estimates the victims were successful the thousands past year.

Migrants and erstwhile fishermen successful the Canary Islands told the Environmental Justice Foundation that the treacherous travel to Spain was a past resort, a mode to supply for families erstwhile sportfishing successful Senegal could nary longer enactment nutrient connected the table.

“If I was capable to summation capable wealth successful fishing, I would ne'er person travel to Europe,” said Memedou Racine Seck.

Local activists successful Senegal person voiced their vexation with overseas overfishing and its publication to the migration crisis. Karim Sall, President of AGIRE, a Senegalese enactment operating successful the Joal-Fadiouth marine protected area, condemned overseas nations for their relation successful the crisis.

“I get truthful aggravated erstwhile (foreign nations) kick astir migration due to the fact that they are the existent pirates and what they did is worse than clandestine immigration. It’s theft, plundering our resources to provender their ain inhabitants portion we suffer,” said Sall.

Industrial overseas fleets, galore of which usage bottommost trawling techniques, are exacerbating the crisis. These vessels resistance dense nets crossed the seafloor, indiscriminately catching young food and destroying marine ecosystems similar seagrass and coral reefs, which are captious for food reproduction. As a result, food stocks are incapable to recover, deepening the hardships of section sportfishing communities and eaters. Fish plays an important relation successful nutrient information successful Senegal, particularly for macromolecule consumption. Due to declining food stocks, depletion per capita successful Senegal has fallen from 29 kilograms per twelvemonth to 17.8 kilograms per person.

The study besides pointed to a deficiency of transparency successful sportfishing licenses and inadequate authorities absorption of fisheries arsenic contributing factors. Despite efforts by the Senegalese authorities to code the crisis, experts pass that without stricter regulations connected concern overseas fleets, the concern volition worsen.

Migrant and erstwhile fisherman Souleymane Sady, who arrived successful the Canary Islands successful 2020, summed up the concern fishermen successful Senegal face: “Since the authorities cannot modulate the boats and we cannot enactment normally, we take to tally distant from the state to travel for stability,” helium said.

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