• Agreement signed during Faye’s March Madrid visit
• Deal targets sustainability, training, and stronger anti-IUU enforcement
• IUU fishing costs Senegal millions, worsens stock depletion and governance gaps

Senegal and Spain have signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime fisheries cooperation and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It was announced during President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s three-day visit to Madrid starting on March 24.

The partnership will focus on resource sustainability, training, research and governance in the fisheries sector. It also includes Spanish support to strengthen Senegal’s capacity in monitoring, inspection, traceability and enforcement of IUU fishing rules.

IUU fishing is driven by structural weaknesses in maritime surveillance and opaque governance. It includes at-sea transshipments, incursions by foreign vessels into Senegal’s exclusive economic zone, illegal fishing in restricted areas by both foreign and domestic fleets, and unreported catches. These practices increase pressure on fish stocks and undermine the sector’s sustainability.

A 2024 report estimates that Africa accounts for nearly half of industrial and semi-industrial vessels linked to IUU fishing. Beyond resource depletion, the practice leads to significant revenue losses.

In Senegal, IUU fishing is estimated to cost nearly $300 million a year, according to a 2016 study by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners under the COMFISH project. While current losses are difficult to quantify, recent incidents suggest the practice persists in Senegalese waters and may be accelerating.

EU fisheries agreement not renewed in 2024

The Senegal-Spain rapprochement follows the European Union’s decision not to renew its fisheries agreement with Dakar, which expired on Nov. 17, 2024. The move came after the European Commission flagged Senegal in May 2024 as a non-cooperating country in the fight against IUU fishing, citing weaknesses in monitoring and traceability systems.

With no progress made, talks were suspended, prompting European vessels to leave Senegalese waters and costing the country an estimated 8.5 million euros ($9.77 million) in financial support over the 2019–2024 period, excluding fees paid by shipowners. Brussels has made any renewal conditional on sufficient progress.

Although European catches accounted for less than 1% of declared catches in Senegalese waters, the agreement was an important source of funding for surveillance, research and sustainable resource management.

In this context, the partnership with Spain could help Senegal strengthen its capacity to manage IUU fishing, as Dakar also seeks to rebuild its credibility with international partners and protect its access to export markets.

Senegal is the second-largest fish producer in West Africa after Nigeria, with annual catches exceeding 500,000 metric tons since 2022, according to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Stéphanas Assocle