Trawling Agreements and Migration: Dwindling Fisheries Ignite Senegal's Exodus to Europe

South of the Sahara, in the bustling coastal nation of Senegal, a fishing crisis, induced by European trawlers and treaties, is causing a seismic shift in socio-economic dynamics, leading to an unexpected chain of events that are reverberating all the way to Europe's southern borders.

In Senegal, a nation historically rich in marine life, the fishing sector has long been the pulse of the local economy. As the glistening Atlantic yields its bounty, fishermen in colorful pirogues would traditionally sail home with the day's catch. Women would then carry these treasures to vibrant markets, their voices mingling with the din of haggling and the aroma of thieboudienne, the quintessential Senegalese dish made from fish. The fish, now scarce, used to be a staple food source for locals, strategically important for both nutrition and culture.

But this narrative has changed in recent decades, in no small part due to a series of agreements with the European Union. Having inked its first fishing treaty with Senegal in 1979, the agreements allowed European—primarily Spanish—fleets, armed with advanced technologies and larger capacities, to dwarf the local artisanal fishermen, changing the daily catch's rhythm.

Since the introduction of these treaties, the Senegalese catch in markets has halved, and the once-thriving fleets of small fishing boats have significantly diminished. In a desperate attempt to level the scales, Senegal once canceled the agreement in 2006. Yet, by 2014, driven by necessity or coercion, the Senegalese government signed another treaty endorsing European trawlers to not only harvest fish but to sell a quota back to local canneries. However, this move provided no respite for the smaller local fishermen, sparking unintended consequences.

Stemming from these economic pressures, a dangerous yet lucrative alternative industry emerged - migrants seeking passage to Europe, the very continent responsible for their plight, now became the cargo of former fishermen. In this grim irony, where once they hauled nets of fish, now they transport dreams and desperation across the treacherous waters to the Canary Islands.

These conscripted voyages command a steep price, often pooling resources that have been painstakingly gathered by hopeful families. Despite the myriad risks, the allure of the potential to send money back home drives these ex-fishermen to navigate not just the physical seas, but the waves of hope and despair.

In Spain, the received narrative of a "migrant crisis" often ignores that European policies and economies have inadvertently fermented the situation. As the local fishing industry in Senegal was devoured by the European Union's appetite for seafood, the resulting migration injects a potent yet undeclared necessity into Spain's labor market.

Undocumented migrants become the backbone of Spain's agrarian successes, working jobs deemed undesirable by locals — and at rates below minimum wage. This symbiosis between the Spanish economy and migrant labor is an unspoken truth that sustains not just the farms, but the very tables of Spain's homes.

For those who survive the harrowing journey and toil, the path to documentation is an odyssey in itself. Yet, even if they secure a work permit and a formal job, the chasm between what they earn and what they could make back home is stark. Their remittances, a lifeline for families, bolster Senegal's GDP significantly, yet do little to curb the systemic "jobless growth" back in their motherland.

Politically and economically, Senegal too sails predicament waters. With growing concern over future oil and gas extraction on fisheries, President Macky Sall's focus tilts towards fueling the economy with energy exports, especially as Europe diversifies its sources post the Ukraine conflict. The socio-environmental costs, however, could cast long shadows over Senegal's coastal communities.

In the shadows of Senegal's depleted docks and Europe's cranberry farms, the narrative of who brewed the "migrant crisis" unfolds - not in heated forums, but in the silence of vanished fish and the whisper of the Atlantic's waves, ferrying hollowed pirogues and crumpled dreams.