I was born into a home where my father and older brother fished. I dropped out of school at 12 to help out as my father was growing old and my brother needed a hand.
There are different kinds of fishermen: some fish daily, some stay 2-3 days at sea, and others spend more than 10 days at sea.
Wild fish are the most expensive, and women are the main customers. They buy and resell to markets, hotels and restaurants. On the other hand, frozen fish are sold to fishmongers, at lower prices, who resell them within the country.
Impact of foreign fleets
Fresh fish are rare because of European boats that prevent fish from coming to the coast. Before, it was enough to spend six hours at sea to return, but these days, it is simply not feasible.
Before the arrival of the fleets, we had a lot of money to help each other. Life has become more difficult. It costs more to get further into the sea than before, and we need to go much further now because the fleets prevent the fish from coming down to the coast.
Way forward
It is hoped that the contracts with the foreign fleets will end. The government must stop the contracts so that the seas become repopulated with fish. The government would also need to set and apply strict rules that the fleets must respect.
The government should also help us with funding. At the moment, we are neglected and do not receive support as, say, farmers who get help with fertilizers and agricultural machinery.
Migration
The scarcity of fish means that young people go on to migrate. Young people leave without our knowledge. Our heritage is fishing; if there is no more hope, then it is better to migrate. Young people want to succeed and help their parents.
Unionism
The only true union that exists is in Dakar, not in the regions. Here, we met in small groupings; every shelter you see along the road is a grouping, but our voices do not echo at the government level. Our main complaint is the lack of state aid.