• Senegal inaugurates Thiès Central Fish Market with 2.22 billion CFA investment

• Facility processes 8,000 tonnes yearly, boosting cold chain and traceability

• Project supports artisanal fishing hub and reduces post-harvest losses

The Thiès Central Fish Market was inaugurated on Jan. 24. The new facility represents a total investment of 2.22 billion CFA francs ($4 million) and was financed from the National Agency for Maritime Affairs’ (ANAM) own funds.

In a statement published on Jan. 26, the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy said the market is equipped with infrastructure that meets sanitary and cold-storage standards. It has an annual processing capacity of 8,000 tonnes of fish. The site includes cold-chain, storage and quality-control installations designed to improve traceability and reduce losses that continue to weigh on the sector.

“This infrastructure will significantly reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen the cold chain, improve product traceability, and help formalize marketing channels over the long term,” the statement said.

The market also aims to improve working conditions and incomes for fishermen, fishmongers, female fish processors and transporters. It is also intended to support food security and generate more value locally.

More broadly, the investment reinforces Thiès’ role in Senegal’s fishing industry. Data from the National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD) show the region has been the country’s main landing hub for artisanal fish since 2019, ahead of Ziguinchor, Dakar and Saint-Louis, accounting for nearly 50% of catches at that time.

Official data put the annual commercial value of fisheries production processed in the region at more than 80 billion CFA francs ($14.6 million).

Artisanal fishing provides nearly 80% of Senegal’s total fish catches and the majority of jobs in the sector. Senegal is West Africa’s second-largest fish producer after Nigeria. Annual catches have exceeded 500,000 tonnes since 2022, according to FAO data.

Stephanas Assocle