SENEGAL

The sea of Senegal is bearing the brunt of overfishing and pollution. The fishing policy of the European Union has worsened the problem of overfishing in these waters. The eu trawlers are crowding the African coastal waters and fishing them empty.

The European fish market gets 50 per cent of its catch from non-European countries. But the local population hardly gets any share of the profits. In many cases, nearly 20 to 30 per cent of the catch is dumped back into the sea if it is not of any economic interest. In case of prawns, as much as 50 to 90 per cent of the catch is thrown back. Serious damage is caused to the ecosystem by the methods employed by the European fisherfolk. For instance, in prawn fishing, the seabed is literally turned up in order to catch prawns. As a conse quence, the breeding grounds of many species of fish are destroyed.

The European trawlers freeze their catch and unload them in their home port. Hence, the local industry is left without any direct profits. The eu agreements also do not favour the employment of local fisherfolk. To solve these problems, local fisherfolk's organisations are campaigning for the amendment of eu laws.