Threats to Senegal's fishing sector: A case study from the Ziguinchor region

Senegal's fishing sector employs some 17% of the population, but illegal fishing poses a major threat. This report offers in-depth analysis and recommendations.

Fishing is of key socio-economic importance to the Senegalese economy, especially in the Ziguinchor region. However, the sector faces several challenges, including illegal fishing, insufficient infrastructure and weak human and material resources – particularly in the regional fisheries services. Senegal has learnt from experience that allowing local communities and professionals to manage sites where fish is unloaded seems to pay off, although the sector needs more initiatives of this kind. The major outstanding challenges are building fishing ports, and adopting or strengthening measures to counter the effects of dwindling fish species.

About the authors

Barthélemy Blédé joined the ISS in May 2014 as a senior researcher in the Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Division in the Dakar office. Before joining the ISS, Blede was chief project officer for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code in the Port of Abidjan. He also occupied several positions in the Ivorian maritime administration. He has degrees from the World Maritime University in Malmoe, Sweden; the School of Administrators of Maritime Affairs in Bordeaux, France; and the University of Abidjan.

André Diouf has been an intern in the Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Division at ISS Dakar since February 2015. He holds a master’s degree in public law from Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis, Senegal.

Pascaline Compaoré has been a junior fellow in the Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis Division at ISS Dakar since May 2015. She holds a master’s degree in public international law from the Centre for Studies and Research on General International Law and Human Rights in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.