SENEGAL – On May 27, Senegal was issued a “yellow card” by the European Commission (EC) due to its inadequate efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The EC highlighted significant flaws in Senegal’s monitoring, control, and surveillance systems for both domestic vessels operating in international waters and foreign vessels at the port of Dakar.
Additionally, the EC reported instances of illegal fish exports from Senegal to the EU, undermining the reliability of the country’s traceability system.
This decision initiates a formal dialogue between the EC and Senegal, with the Commission expressing its willingness to support Senegal in addressing these issues.
The “yellow card” serves as a warning, offering Senegal the opportunity to implement corrective measures within a reasonable timeframe.
While this warning currently does not impact fish trade between Senegal and the EU, persistent non-compliance could lead to more severe consequences.
The EC’s identification procedure, or “red card,” would impose sanctions such as a ban on Senegalese fishery products in the EU market.
The EU is a crucial market for Senegalese fish exports, accounting for 39% of the country’s US$605M fishery export value in 2022, according to Trade Map platform data.
That said, small-scale fishing has historically been vital to Senegal’s economy and coastal communities.
However, local fishermen are increasingly returning with empty nets, a trend exacerbated by a dramatic increase in fishing ports from 2008 to 2018, as reported by the NGO Environmental Justice Foundation.
Much of the local fish stocks, including hake, sole, shrimp, and octopus, are being depleted by large-scale trawlers from China and other countries.
These trawlers cater to European consumer demand and supply fishmeal and oil producers, contributing significantly to the collapse of over half of the fish stocks in Senegalese waters.
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