A staple food for millions of Senegalese, the sardine or the yaboy is in danger. This small fish, which represents more than 75% of the artisanal catches in Senegal, is today the victim of an intolerable pressure. According to the latest warnings from FAO and COPACE, stocks are being overexploited, threatening not only marine biodiversity but also the food security of more than 17 million people. Once fished in abundance in the Senegalese coastal waters, the sardine becomes rare. Fishermen report more and more long sea trips for ever more meagre catches. In some areas such as Mbour, Kayar or Saint-Louis, production has fallen by nearly 40% in ten years, reports Sud Quotidien.
Sardinelle fishing: 70% of Senegal’s protein supplies are threatened by overexploitation
