As the European Union (EU) has initiated a dialogue with Senegal on the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a study highlights the potentially serious consequences of a suspension of exports to the European market linked to the country’s potential identification as “non-cooperating in the fight against IUU fishing.”
Beyond governance concerns, it is the artisanal fishing communities that risk paying the highest price.
““A suspension of Senegalese fish exports to the EU would severely impact small-scale fishing communities, even though they are not responsible for the reported shortcomings. Fishers, fish traders, and women involved in fish processing would face serious threats to their incomes and livelihoods, heightening the risks of food insecurity, unemployment, and migration.””
Since May 2024, the EU has pre-identified Senegal as a non-cooperating country in the context of the fight against IUU fishing. The study recently published by Dr. Makhtar Thiam, President of the Senegalese Export Fishmongers Union (UPAMES), analyses the economic and social impacts that could result from a possible formal identification of Senegal as a non-cooperating country under this framework, which would mean a ban on the export of Senegalese fishery products to the European Community market. Its conclusions highlight major social and economic risks, particularly for artisanal fisheries.
The study recalls that the EU represents around 40% of the value of Senegal’s fishery exports. A significant share of these products comes from catches by artisanal fisheries, which supply export-oriented value chains. Artisanal fishers, fish traders, women processors and many other actors are therefore closely tied to the European market.
In this context, a suspension of exports would not merely constitute a trade sanction. It would trigger cascading effects throughout the entire value chain, with losses of income, job cuts and a deterioration in living conditions in coastal areas. The study recalls that fishing is an essential economic activity for hundreds of thousands of people and underlines the increased risks of food insecurity and migration.
A central point of the report is that artisanal fishing actors are not responsible for the shortcomings that led to the EU’s initial pre-identification. Yet the men and women in the sector would be among the first to suffer the consequences of a possible trade sanction. This mismatch between responsibility and impacts raises questions about the fairness of the measures being considered.
Following the publication of this study, in a letter addressed to the European Commission, CFFA reiterated its support for efforts to combat IUU fishing and improve fisheries governance. The approach adopted by the EU must be both effective and socially just. The current phase of dialogue between the EU and Senegal provides an opportunity to support ongoing reforms, notably through greater involvement of artisanal fisheries organizations, strengthened technical assistance and improved traceability systems.
The letter stresses that it is essential for the EU to ensure consistency between its objectives in combating IUU fishing and its commitments to sustainable development. In this regard, it appears crucial that the next stages of the process fully take into account the social and economic impacts on artisanal fishing communities and involve them in the search for solutions.
Banner photo: At the Kafountine landing site in Senegal, porters fetch the fish from the canoe, by Mediaprod.
Francisco Mari, advocacy officer for global food security, agricultural trade and maritime policy at Bread for the World, reviews the WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies; following its recent entry into force. For this, he points at what till remains unaddressed and the costs and opportunities for developing countries, including the impact on small-scale fisheries.