Memedou Racine Seck, a former fisherman and now a migrant from Senegal, poignantly stated, “If I was able to gain enough money in fishing, I would never have come to Europe.” His situation highlights a pressing issue identified in a recent report: the alarming rise in Senegalese migration to Spain’s Canary Islands is significantly driven by overfishing by foreign vessels.
The non-profit Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), which conducted this research, reveals that the dire consequences of overfishing are pushing many Senegalese to undertake the treacherous journey across one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. Seck recounted his harrowing experience, during which he lost 13 companions to the sea as they made their way to Spain.
The impact of overfishing on Senegal’s economy
Fishing plays a crucial role in Senegal’s economy, employing approximately 3% of the nation’s workforce and serving as a cornerstone of food security. However, the livelihoods of small-scale fishermen are increasingly threatened by the activities of foreign industrial fishing fleets, which primarily export their catches to the European Union and an expanding market in China.
This report arrives in the wake of legal action taken by environmental NGOs ClientEarth and Oceana against the Spanish government for its failure to address the illegal fishing practices of Spanish-flagged vessels off the coast of Senegal and Guinea Bissau.
Decades of unsustainable fishing practices
The findings indicate a significant decline in fish populations, with modeling suggesting that 57% of the species fished in Senegal are on the verge of collapse. This decline is attributed to years of overfishing, compounded by the rising export volumes driven by both industrial and small-scale fishing efforts. The report highlights the severe ecological damage caused by bottom trawling, a method employed by more than 90% of Senegal’s industrial fishing fleet, which drags heavy nets across the ocean floor.
As fish stocks dwindle, food insecurity escalates, driving up poverty levels and compelling individuals to risk their lives on perilous migrations from West Africa to the Canary Islands. Data from Spain’s interior ministry indicates that irregular migrant arrivals reached a staggering 63,970 in 2024, a figure that more than doubles that of 2022, with most arriving in the Canary Islands, where the number of arrivals surged by 200% from two years earlier. Senegal ranks among the top three nationalities making this dangerous journey.
Despite the inherent dangers of this route, increasing numbers of individuals attempt the crossing. In 2023, an estimated 3,176 migrants lost their lives while attempting to reach the Canary Islands from Senegal, according to the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras. A tragic incident in August 2023 saw a boat discovered adrift off Cape Verde, which had left the coastal community of Fass Boye in Senegal weeks earlier, with only 38 survivors out of 101 passengers.
Modou Boye Seck, mourning the loss of his family members in this tragedy, lamented, “No boats go to sea lately. And that’s the difficulties the young people are dealing with, and it caused this tragic death upon them, and that’s the most heartbreaking thing.”
Karim Sall, the President of AGIRE, a Senegalese organization active in the Joal-Fadiouth marine protected area, voiced his frustration over the consequences of foreign overfishing on local communities. He stated, “I get so angry when [foreign nations] complain about immigration because they are the real pirates and what they did is worse than clandestine immigration.” He emphasized the irony that while locals risk their lives to seek better opportunities abroad, foreign vessels plunder their fishing resources.
The report includes critical recommendations aimed at the Senegalese government, the European Union, and industrial fishing companies operating within Senegalese waters. It stresses the need for improved governance and transparency to protect the fishing sector and the communities that depend upon it.
Steve Trent, the CEO and Founder of the EJF, highlighted the widespread repercussions of the crisis facing Senegal’s fisheries. He stated, “Small-scale fishers face overwhelming competition from industrial vessels, leading to deteriorating living conditions, diminished food security, and lost livelihoods. The consequences are far-reaching, contributing to a troubling increase in migrant deaths at sea.” He called on European authorities to take immediate action, urging them to “end this now, and return Senegal’s fisheries to the people of Senegal.”