Fishermen blame climate change and trawling for Senegal’s fish scarcity

Senegal’s coastal communities are facing a dire situation as the country’s most consumed fish, the sardinella, is rapidly disappearing from local waters. Fishermen in Senegal are attributing the dwindling sardinella population to a combination of climate change and trawling activities.

Climate change has been wreaking havoc on Senegal’s coastal ecosystems, leading to warmer waters and disrupting the natural habitats of fish like the sardinella. As a result, the fish are migrating to deeper, cooler waters, making them harder to catch for local fishermen who rely on them for both sustenance and income.

In addition to climate change, trawling – a method of fishing that involves dragging a large net along the sea floor – has been identified as a major factor in the decline of the sardinella population. Trawling not only depletes fish stocks but also damages marine habitats, further exacerbating the already precarious situation for Senegal’s fishermen.

The disappearance of the sardinella is a cause for concern not only for fishermen but also for the wider coastal communities that depend on this fish for food security and economic stability. Urgent action is needed to address the root causes of this fish scarcity and to ensure sustainable fishing practices that will safeguard Senegal’s marine resources for future generations.