The allocation of controversial licences put at risk Senegal’s approval to export to EU market

An EU delegation met with Senegal Fisheries Ministry and with representatives of the fisheries sector to inform them that EU was investigating the conditions under which foreign trawlers are fishing small pelagics in waters under Senegal’s jurisdiction, in the context of the EU regulation against IUU fishing. The EU delegation warned about the risk for Senegal to have its approval to export fish products on the EU market withdrawn, and to be designated as non cooperating state in regard of the IUU regulation, notably because fishing authorisations allocated to these vessels were not in conformity with the Senegalese law.

Senegalese fishing professionals reiterate that the European market is their main export market, in particular for artisanal fishing which supplies 70% of exports, and remind that they warned the authorities, since the beginning, about the risks, for the strategic small pelagics resources and for the fishing sector, to illegally give these licences to foreign trawlers.

Source:

Information sent by Gaoussou Gueye, vice président of CONIPAS (Conseil national interprofessionnel de la pêche artisanale du Sénégal).

Protest against IUU fishing in Liberia

Over two hundred and fifty local fishermen and women from various fishing communities in Liberia recently gathered at the Ministry of Agriculture to protest against illegal fishing activities within Liberian waters. Local fishermen said the protest was prompted by brutality allegedly inflicted on one of their colleagues by the occupants of an unlicensed Korean vessel within the Liberian territorial waters. In a statement, the protesters called on the Government of Liberia to take urgent action in enforcing the issuance of new fishery regulations and the moratorium on industrial fishing licenses. According to local fishermen of the LAFA, the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) of six nautical miles which is supposed to be reserved for them is being routinely exploited day and night by illegal fishing vessels.

Senegal: civil society and fishing sector unite against 22 Russian trawlers licensing

In a press conference held on March 17 in Dakar, representatives of professional organizations from the Senegalese industrial and small-scale fishing sector, as well trade unions and consumer organisations, denounced the presence in the Senegalese waters of Russian fishing vessels targeting small pelagics: "These vessels whose licences have been formally refused, are able to quietly operate, by day and by night, without be arrested...", says a press release from GAIPES (grouping of the shipowners and industrial fishing in Senegal).