Why Are Africa’s Fisheries Disappearing?
Blue Colonialism on the Continent’s Shores
After depleting fish stocks in their own waters through
uncontrolled overfishing, several foreign fishing companies—especially from
Europe—have set their sights on Africa’s rich coastlines.
The European Union’s “fishing access agreements” with African states grant EU
fleets the right to fish in African waters in exchange for multimillion-euro
payments. While these deals may look profitable for African governments in the
short term, they ultimately work against them. Lacking large industrial fleets,
African nations end up selling off their fish stocks to meet short-term cash
needs, only to see their marine populations collapse and their local fishing
industries driven to the brink of bankruptcy.
The Threat on West Africa’s Shores
West Africa’s coasts host some of the world’s richest marine
ecosystems, yet fish stocks there have plummeted in recent years due to
overfishing. Seafood, a staple food source and livelihood for coastal
communities, is being scooped up by massive foreign vessels—most of them
European—processed, packaged, and shipped to supermarket shelves in Europe.
What remains behind are skyrocketing fish prices, unemployed small-scale
fishers, hungry households, and, in many cases, communities forced to migrate.
Africa’s seas are being looted so that Europeans can consume
more seafood in luxury restaurants, while Africans are left without access to
their own fish.
The case of Senegal illustrates this perfectly. A 1979
agreement opened Senegal’s waters to European fleets without limit. Renewed in
2019 by the Macky Sall government, the deal left Senegal’s fish stocks depleted
by 50% over the past decade, with prices rising constantly. In November 2024,
Senegal’s new president Bassirou Diamoye Faye made history by scrapping the
deal, halting the exploitation.
Forced to leave Senegalese waters, European fleets quickly shifted to other
African nations, especially Mauritania.
Meanwhile, Norway—one of the biggest consumers of West
African fish—ranks salmon as its second-largest export after oil and gas. But
salmon farming requires fishmeal and fish oil derived from smaller fish. Today,
58% of the world’s fish oil and 14% of its fishmeal go into feeding farmed
salmon, much of it sourced from West Africa’s waters. In other words, both
Norwegian companies and the European firms they supply threaten West Africa’s
fish stocks and the livelihoods of its people.
Across Africa, fishing provides a livelihood for more than
200 million people. Yet while millions face hunger and malnutrition, wealthy
countries deprive Africans of the right to consume fish from their own seas.
Illegal Fishing and Hidden Exploitation
Many fleets not only overfish but also operate illegally.
Some deactivate their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) to disappear from
radar and fish outside permitted areas.
Between 2000 and 2010, EU fleets caught $50.9 million worth of fish legally in
Senegal—but also an estimated $10 million worth illegally.
China, Russia, and South Korea are also major offenders.
These fleets disguise themselves under African flags by purchasing local
companies and operating as “domestic” firms. Others run multiple vessels under
a single license, or fish species they are not authorized to catch. Packages of
seafood caught off Africa are often re-labeled with European country tags to
deceive consumers.
Despite the absence of any formal fishing deal, reports show
Russian fleets continue to fish in Senegalese waters.
Local Communities Pay the Price
Industrial fleets often fish close to shore, colliding with
small local boats, destroying nets, and sometimes causing fatal accidents.
Small-scale fishers are forced farther out to sea, risking their lives.
Declining coastal fish stocks push many communities into migration.
By indiscriminately catching juvenile fish and non-target
species, foreign vessels also devastate Africa’s marine biodiversity.
The Senegal case proves that unfair agreements can be
revoked. To protect Africa’s seas, governments need stronger negotiating power,
satellite monitoring of fleets, direct support for local fishers, sustainable
aquaculture initiatives, and serious penalties for companies violating
international law.
After the Looting Comes “Aid”
After plundering Africa’s seas, Western powers mask their
exploitation behind “development aid.”
EU companies that reap billions from West African fisheries boast of donating
just 2–3 million euros annually for “sustainable fishing projects.” Norway’s
salmon industry devastates West Africa’s small-fish populations, then promotes
programs to “empower women fishers.” France and Spain extract hundreds of
thousands of tons of fish from the region each year, while funding token
projects like providing clean water to fishing villages.
These “aid” programs amount to barely 1% of what Western
powers gain from Africa’s fisheries.
Africa’s coasts and communities are far too valuable to be
left to the mercy of global fishing corporations.
Turkey’s Somali Model: A Shield Against Exploitation
Somalia’s rich waters have been one of the hardest hit by
foreign looting. Illegal fishing, much of it carried out by fleets from China,
Iran, South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, and other countries, has drained Somalia’s
resources. Losses of nearly $300 million annually collapsed the country’s
fishing sector in the 2000s, driving many Somali fishers into piracy as a
desperate means of “protecting” their seas and securing livelihoods.
In contrast, Turkey is offering a new approach. In February
2024, Ankara signed a landmark maritime security agreement with Mogadishu. For
the next ten years, the Turkish Armed Forces will act as a partner in
safeguarding Somalia’s waters. Revenues from naval and maritime investments
will be reinvested into Somali fisheries through training, equipment,
infrastructure development, and resource protection.
By protecting Somali seas, Turkey is not only supporting one
nation’s sovereignty but also helping secure Africa’s broader food security. If
successful, this model could mark a turning point in Africa’s struggle to
defend its marine resources.
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