Senegal: European Vessels to Stop Fishing in Senegalese Waters
Starting Sunday, November 17, European-flagged vessels will cease fishing in Senegal’s waters. The European Union has opted not to renew its fishing agreement with Senegal for the time being. The reason cited by Brussels is Senegal’s failure to address deficiencies in combating illegal fishing, which had previously been flagged to Dakar but remain unresolved.
« European vessels will stop fishing in Senegal’s Exclusive Economic Zone as of midnight on November 17. These vessels may, at the discretion of their operators, continue fishing in other areas, » announced EU Ambassador Jean-Marc Pisani on Tuesday, November 12. He highlighted existing agreements between the EU and neighboring countries such as The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Cape Verde.
EU Halts Fishing Agreement with Senegal Over Illegal Fishing Concerns
On May 27, the European Union formally notified Senegalese authorities of shortcomings and the need for progress in combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Specific issues included failures in fish traceability.
« It would be inconsistent for the European Union, which upholds a zero-tolerance policy on IUU fishing, to renew an agreement with countries flagged for such challenges, » explained EU Ambassador Jean-Marc Pisani, as reported by RFI.
As a result, 18 Spanish and French vessels will no longer fish in Senegalese waters. Under the agreement, these vessels were authorized to catch 10,000 tons of fish annually. In return, the EU provided financial compensation amounting to 10 billion CFA francs (€12 million) since 2019.
Source: africanmanager
