Senegal/Mauritania fisheries agreements: 500 licenses handed over to Guet Ndar fishermen

The Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy handed out 500 fishing licenses to Langue de Barbarie fishermen in St Louis on Monday, January 08, 2024. Minister Papa Sagna MBAYE urged the beneficiaries to respect the terms of the protocol.

Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Senegal and Mauritania on July 21, 2023, the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy handed over 500 licenses to fishermen in St Louis on Monday January 08, 2024.

According to the Minister for Maritime Economy, these licenses will enable St Louis fishermen to catch 50,000 tonnes of pelagic fish in Mauritanian waters.

Welcoming the commitment of the Mauritanian authorities, Papa Sagna MBAYE urged the beneficiary fishermen to fish cleanly and healthily, and above all to respect the obligations and clauses of the protocol. In other words, limit themselves to authorized fishing zones, authorized fishing species and comply with regulatory fishing equipment. In his opinion, this will enable them to avoid fines and encourage the renewal of licenses.

Given the size of the fleet, which numbers over 5,000 pirogues, the players welcomed the initiative, and called for an increase in the number of licenses granted. They promised to work with the Mauritanian authorities in this direction, if Senegalese fishermen do not exceed 10% of the number of licenses fined.

As a reminder, the agreement signed between the two countries stipulates that the fishermen must pay compensation of 11,135 FCFA, but the 6,550 Fcfa will be paid by the State of Senegal, according to Minister Papa Sagna MBAYE. The news was welcomed by the beneficiaries. The President of the Senegalese Fishermen’s Association, Mr. Ousmane SENE, and the Coordinator of the Local Artisanal Fishing Committee, Mr. Omar DIEYE, welcomed the move and the lifting of fines. Taking the floor, they pledged to spare no effort to preserve the bonds of fraternity between the two countries.

The Mayor of St Louis, Mr Mansour FAYE, who attended the ceremony, stressed the importance of reorganizing the fishing sector to cope with climate change. According to him, artisanal fishermen must now have their own fishing boats, with the help of the State.

The Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy underlined the authorities’ ambition to revolutionize artisanal fishing. Referring to the end of the DAKARNAVE concession, the Minister of Fisheries spoke of the instructions of the Head of State to require the new concessionaire to provide trawlers for small-scale fishing. The Mauritanian delegation at the ceremony was led by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy.

Malick Sow, Technical Communication Advisor, MPEM Senegal