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EU Ends Senegal Fishing Agreement
The European Union will not renew its fishing agreement with Senegal due to concerns over illegal fishing and criticisms from Senegalese stakeholders.
English
United States
PoliticsInternational RelationsEuropean UnionAfricaTradeFishing
European UnionUnited States Agency For International Development
Bassirou Diomaye Faye
- What were the reasons given by the EU for this decision?
- The non-renewal is due to Senegal's designation as a "non-cooperating country" by the EU because of deficiencies in monitoring, control, and surveillance systems for both Senegalese and foreign vessels. The EU claims that the agreement's impact on overfishing was minimal.
- What is the timeline for the termination of the agreement?
- The agreement, signed in 2019, allowed European vessels to fish in Senegalese waters. Its expiration on Sunday marks the end of this arrangement, with no immediate government response from Senegal yet.
- How has the fishing agreement impacted Senegalese fishermen?
- Many Senegalese have criticized the agreement, arguing that foreign industrial trawlers outcompete local fishermen, leading to depleted fish stocks and difficulty for local fishermen to make a living. One in six Senegalese work in the fisheries sector.
- What was Senegal's government's response to the EU's decision?
- Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected in March, had promised to renegotiate the agreement and ordered an audit of the fishing sector, but the results haven't been made public yet.
- Why is the EU not renewing its fishing agreement with Senegal?
- The European Union will not renew its fishing agreement with Senegal, citing Senegal's failure to cooperate in the fight against illegal fishing. This decision will force European vessels to leave Senegalese waters and ends Senegal's receipt of financial contributions under the agreement.