The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) revealed, on 17 May, in a new report and documentary the direct and profound impact of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Senegal’s fishing industry. 

Declining fish stocks are driving a rise in forced migration to Europe via the world’s deadliest migration route, which claimed over 3,000 lives in 2023 alone. Based on in-depth research and interviews conducted in Senegal and the Canary Islands, the report highlights the growing environmental and socio-economic consequences of increased industrial fishing by foreign fleets. “This report underscores the challenges facing a nation whose economy and food security depend on small-scale fisheries,” says the EJF.