During the presentation of his program, candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye promised to protect artisanal fishing from the incursion of foreign vessels. « We will reserve the 12 nautical miles zone exclusively for artisanal fishing. This major reform aims to protect artisanal fishing and artisan professionals from the incursion of industrial fishing vessels, » the document reads.
Additionally, he will implement management plans for key fisheries. The fisheries targeted by the management plans will be identified and selected in consultation with authorized fisheries administration specialists and all relevant stakeholders, including fisheries research institutions and sector professionals. « We will develop and implement a National Plan for Immersion and Management of Artificial Reefs commonly referred to as the ‘REEFS PLAN’. The objective of this plan is to restore habitats and marine ecosystems degraded by decades of poor fishing practices, both artisanal and industrial, » he promises.
Strengthening maritime surveillance of Senegalese jurisdictional waters and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities also remains a priority for Bassirou Diomaye Faye. « We will rigorously enforce maritime fishing regulations to put an end to the politicized and complacent management of the sector. Strict enforcement of regulations ensures strict compliance with the provisions of the Maritime Fishing Code and its implementing decree. The ultimate goal is to eradicate all non-regulatory fishing practices in Senegalese fisheries, » it was stated.
To achieve this, he promises to suspend and evaluate all fishing agreements within the exclusive economic zone and audit the Senegalese flag. « We will develop aquaculture into a sufficiently developed sector to significantly contribute to meeting the national market demand and enable Senegalese family farms and private enterprises to profit from it, » he said.
To achieve this goal, « we will strengthen the legal and regulatory framework of aquaculture, particularly to better secure investors. We will establish an aquaculture promotion fund to support actors who want to invest in the aquaculture value chain, and we will enhance technical and institutional support for actors by establishing multiple aquaculture centers and stations in regions and areas with development potential, » he promised.
