A sustainable artisanal fishing industry on the Saloum Islands in Senegal
For two years, the IFDD and Enda Énergie have been implementing a project in the commune of Djirnda, in the Saloum islands in Senegal, which provides proof that it is possible to reconcile the socio-economic interests of stakeholders and preservation requirements. of the ecosystem. In this commune, home to 11 villages and 17,000 inhabitants, fishing resources represent the main source of income. However, overfishing and the destruction of mangroves have negative impacts on biodiversity and island populations. “In the past, our parents lived easily from the fishing resources they got from the mangroves,” explains Salimata Diouf, president of the Baouth women’s economic interest group. “Today we are facing a drastic change that worries us greatly. » Faly Sathie, fisherman in Baouth, recognizes: “Fish have become rare. There is certainly divine will behind this natural phenomenon, but we must also recognize that human action has greatly contributed to the current situation. Before, there was at most one canoe in each concession. Nowadays, there can be up to four canoes per family. » One of the consequences of this loss of resources is the flight of young people to the cities, or even to Europe, at the risk of their lives. In 2028, the Francophonie Institute for Sustainable Development, in partnership with the Mava foundation, initiated in 2018 the artisanal fishing sustainability project in the Saloum Islands, implemented by the NGO Enda Énergie, and linked to the municipality. Firstly, the project focused on reforesting the area: 60 hectares of mangroves were replanted. Then a corridor of 200 artificial reefs was set up in May 2020. At the same time, the project supported income-generating activities, notably the seeding and production of arks (shells), a profitable species which had become rare. over the years. Three ark cultivation areas have been developed over 15 hectares in the nearby mudflat, and encourage the rest of pelagic fish such as ethymaloses. Furthermore, initiatives have been taken to limit the use of wood as the main source of energy for cooking and smoking fish. Ousmane Gning, program manager at the NGO Enda Énergie, explains: “We are not always going to continue to do reforestation, we must therefore tackle what is causing the degradation of the mangrove. We have set up Energy stores which sell clean cooking stoves and alternative energies such as gas. » An allocation of 650 butane gas and 500 improved stoves made it possible to launch the store among women fish processors. Finally, the commercial model for the sale of fishery resources should be improved via the project: label research and other actions are underway so that the product is sold correctly on the national, or even international, market, reports mediaterre.org.
