Despite its 715 kilometres of coastline and more than 20,000 small-scale fishing boats, Senegal faces an increasing scarcity of fisheries resources. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF), the migration of young fishermen, oil and gas exploration and exploitation leading to the restriction of fishing zones, maritime safety and security concerns, and the installation of fishmeal factories on waterfronts are all factors that jeopardise food security, livelihoods and employment.
The creation of Local Artisanal Fisheries Councils, known in French as Conseils Locaux de Pêche Artisanale (CLPAs), is enshrined in Article 23 of the Maritime Fisheries Code. They are intended to contribute to local fisheries governance, the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources and the development of the maritime fisheries sector with an essential role in participating in Monitoring Control and Surveillance (MCS). The operationalization of the (CLPAs) system commenced in 2010 via a decree issued by the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (decree number 9077, October 2010).
There is an urgent need for an in-depth analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the CLPAs at the national level. The administrative authority responsible for resource management must give CLPAs more power to determine the conditions of access to resources, and inclusivity to understand management methods in terms of fishing effort and rates of payment of fees. By regulation, 60% of the funds generated by the payment of fishing licenses and fishmonger’s cards go to the CLPAs Support Fund. To ensure that the CLPAs operate smoothly in the long term, the fund should also receive additional financial flows generated by operating fishing-related infrastructure, such as landing quays, ice facilities, and processing sites.
Click on the link below to download the policy paper; ENGLISH https://cemlawsafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/EN-Local-Artisanal-Fisheries-Councils-CLPAs-in-Senegal.pdf