EJF, Environmental Justice Foundation (2025) The deadly route to Europe: How illegal fishing and overfishing in Senegal is driving migration. p. 48.
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This report documents the impacts of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Senegal and how fisheries declines in the country are driving irregular migration to Europe. The findings are informed by interviews conducted across the Canary Islands and Senegal in June and July 2024, EJF’s previous report on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of Senegal’s bottom trawl industry, and additional desk-based research. Fishing is a cornerstone of the Senegalese economy and one of the primary sources of food security for the nation’s inhabitants. It is estimated that the fishing sector provides jobs to around 3% of Senegal’s workforce. Fish products contribute 7.9% of the population’s total protein intake and are central to the Senegalese government’s food security policy. Despite increasing landings over the past decade, Senegal’s fisheries are under severe threat. The destructive and often illegal exploitation of fish populations threatens the economic and social wellbeing of communities that are heavily reliant on fishing for food and livelihoods. One of the factors contributing to Senegal’s fisheries crisis is the involvement of foreign actors in the industrial fishing fleet, which engage in environmentally damaging practices under the cover of opaque joint venture agreements with domestic companies. Most of the fish caught by the industrial fleet is exported to foreign markets, particularly the EU and increasingly China, leaving local communities with limited access to fish and worsening food insecurity. As the crisis deepens, migration has become a vital coping strategy for many families in coastal communities. In 2024, the total number of migrants entering Spain irregularly reached 63,970, more than double the figure from 2022. The majority arrived in the Canary Islands, where arrivals surged by 200% between 2022 and 2024 alone. As local conditions worsen, more people are likely to undertake dangerous journeys in search of better prospects, further destabilising the social and economic fabric of Senegal’s coastal communities. Detailed recommendations are provided to the Senegalese government, the EU, and the industrial fishing sector that fish in Senegalese waters.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Europe, China, Illegal Fishing, Overfishing, Senegal, Migration, Food Security, Fisheries Management, IUU, Bottom Trawls, Coastal Communities, Fishing Industry, Fishing Fleets |
| Subjects: | Right to Resources |
| Depositing User: | Kokila ICSF Krish |
| Date Deposited: | 21 May 2025 06:29 |
| Last Modified: | 21 May 2025 06:29 |
| URI: | http://icsfarchives.net/id/eprint/22073 |
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