Souleymane Thiaw, from the community of Palmarin-Djiffère in Senegal’s Saloum Delta Islands, has been an artisanal fisherman all his life.

”I grew up and have bathed in this environment since my childhood,” says Souleymane, who also serves as coordinator of the Local Artisanal Fisheries Council (CLPA, in its French acronym).

On a typical day, he sets out in his boat at 8 am and returns around 5 or 6 pm, depending on the conditions at sea.

He fishes cuttlefish, octopus, sea snails and murex, which is a tropical marine mollusk. With this work, he supports his wife and their four children.

However, marine resources have been dwindling in his lifetime, making it more difficult for him and his fellow fishers to make a living.

He says this is due to two factors.

”We know that climate change is having a real impact on our fisheries,” says Souleymane. "The wind and the waves are more and more disruptive, and many fish species are becoming rare.”

Another factor, he says, is unsustainable fishing practices.

”Our grandparents had a sense of responsibility when it came to fishing. They knew which species to fish at which time in order to avoid this scarcity,” Souleyman recounts.

”Today, this is no longer the case for the young fishermen. Now they are only interested in money. This has a great impact on our work, and we feel it.”

”We must recover our traditional practices”

The most important thing fishers must do to protect the ocean and marine food resources, he says, is to ”fish responsibly”.

”We must follow the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The resources exist, but certain practices are making them disappear,” he explains.

”Our greatest hope, for ourselves and for the future of our children, is a return to fishing as it was practiced by our ancestors. That is, responsible fishing.”

About CFI-WA

CFI-WA covers Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. The Initiative works with stakeholders and authorities to strengthen fisheries governance and management and improve the seafood value chain and working conditions, with a focus on empowering women. It is implemented by FAO in partnership with UNEP/Abidjan Convention and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).