Since my birth, all I’ve known is fishing. I was literally born into it. I grew up to see my relatives fish. Everywhere I went, all I saw was fish.
CORRUPTION AS A CHALLENGE TO FISHING IN PRESENT-DAY SENEGAL
There are a number of challenges. But even before I talk about the foreign fleets, I want to point out that the fisheries sector is very large, as are its challenges. The sabotage of the oceans did not start today; it has been going on for decades. There is no reason why Senegalese fishermen should have to go fishing in neighbouring countries. But we are doing that because we do not have the support of our governments. There is deep corruption. One fisherman and another non-fisherman may go to the port looking for a fishing licence and the authorities will decide to give the licence to the non-fisherman.
THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN FLEETS
The presence of foreign fleets in our waters, as far as I can recollect, dates all the way back to 1990. I remember sometime in 1992, when I was sailing between The Gambia and Cap Skirring in Ziguinchor, there used to be Asian boats, and two boats would use a single net. They fished in the waters, but no one noticed. But things have changed so rapidly. Some mornings, the coasts are so busy that you think you are at the port in Dakar. Their huge boats tear our nets apart and, sometimes, you see a fisherman weeping like a child. Sometimes they hit and wreck our boats and we just report them as ‘accidents’ at sea especially if there are no witnesses. Our small boats have limits. They cannot reach far into the high sea. Yet, they contest the coasts with us.
Government restrictions are of little practical meaning. At night, foreign fleets turn off their lights to descend near the coast to fish. At around 4 a.m, they return very far into the open sea without being spotted by the coastguards.
The fishing contracts are really of no use to us. Only the rulers benefit from them. They sit in air-conditioned offices without worrying about us. We have no fields or shops. All we have is the sea. If we sell off the sea, what will be left of our future?
THE WAY FORWARD
Migration. Yes, that is the only answer. If the young people do not leave, they will never become rich. Given the current situation of the sea, one is obliged to brave the oceans in search of greener pastures.
If the fishing contracts of the foreign fleet are terminated, all the fishermen will rub their hands in glee.
Change depends on Allah; in one day the situation can change with a good leader, we pray that tomorrow will be better.
UNIONS
We need to be more united. There are many fishing villages but we lack a powerful union. This is why our protests are not effective.