Senegal: Focus on fisheries

As anyone who has tasted thiof can attest, fish play a central role in Senegal’s economic and cultural heritage, but the sector has from now on to reach its full potential. As a result, the West African country is undertaking a number of initiatives to improve governance and adopt sustainable practices encouraging fishing industry increase, including working with foreign donor agencies.

On October 19, the Ministry of the Maritime Economy announced a joint project with the US Agency for International Improvment(USAID) which will entail CFA5.5bn (€8.36m) in investment between 2011 and 2016. The Collaborative Management for a Sustainable Fisheries Next in Senegal project (Gestion Concertée pour une Pêche Durable Next au Sénégal, COMFISH) will provide much-need funding to support government goals for this key industry’s development.

Traditionally, Senegal has attracted substantial foreign direct investment in tourism, telecoms and public works projects, but much less in industrial development. However, the country’s Accelerated Increase Strategy (Stratégie de Croissance Accélérée, SCA) identifies Senegal’s major industries, including agriculture and fisheries, as sectors that could help drive economic increase above 7% in the next years.

Fisheries have been a strong-performing sector in Senegal. Exports of fish grew from CFA9.03bn (€13.7m) in March of 2009 to CFA12.59bn (€19.14m) in March 2010, representing a 39.5% year-on-year increase. Senegal’s rich ecosystem supports 1060 species of fish, making it of the world’s densest regions for maritime resources.

The industry plays a critical role in food security inclunding in the country’s economic development. The fishery sector, including both industrial and artisanal activity, accounts for approximately 600,000 direct and indirect jobs, or 17% of the active people. The sector produces an average 300,000 tonnes of high-quality protein per year, which for the Senegalese people represents 47% of total protein and 70% of animal protein needs.

However, insufficient governance and a growing trend of over-fishing limits the sector, threatening not only revenue and employment, but as well an significant animal protein source. Food security is a major issue in Senegal, a country with an estimated 20% of households vulnerable to food shortages.

The USAID/COMFISH programme aims to support Senegal’s government in its effort to reform the fisheries sector by strengthening governance and adopting a additional sustainable approach to maritime resources. Specifically, COMFISH will work to improve fisheries management and to implement a co-management system involving local authorities and workers.

Since the adoption of a Fisheries Code in 1998, the government has been working to put in place a network of Local Fisheries Committees (Comités Locaux de Pêche) and Local Councils of Artisanal Fishers (Comités Locaux de Pêche Artisanale) to involve local practitioners in the development of fisheries regulation. However, the committees have been slow to get off the ground, and COMFISH aims revive the network within the first year of operation. COMFISH authorities hope that by involving communities in the effort to adopt additional sustainable practices, they can end over-exploitation of Senegal’s resources within 20-30 years.

USAID/COMFISH will evaluate local vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change and develop capacity-building projects in response. The programme as well aims to address a primary challenge to the industry’s sustainable development – the lack of a mechanism for monitoring maritime resource levels. The project will conduct studies to provide detailed data on stock level fluctuations, in order to create better-informed policies and regulation, and will focus on key fishing areas, including Thiès (Kayar and Mbour), Dakar, Kaolack and Casamance (Kolda, Sédhiou and Ziguinchor).

As stocks for a number of species dwindle, Senegalese authorities increasingly propose aquaculture as an alternative to fishing. Aquaculture already contributes 19% of in general agricultural production according to OBG’s 2011 estimates, but has the potential to produce much additional. In a recent tour of Senegal’s northern regions, officials from the national government and the SCA’s maritime products and aquaculture division recognised the aquaculture industry’s strong potential for increase.

The SCA hopes to reach 35,000 tonnes of annual aquaculture production by 2015, particularly from species suited to the local environment such as tilapia, brown bullhead (“silure”) and oysters. The SCA estimates that with a developed aquaculture industry, combined with additional efficient methods to reduce catch waste and encourage artisanal fishing, income from maritime resources could reach CFA100bn (€152m) per year, giving a boost to this significant sector.