Honourable Members,
I am writing this note to you before embarking on my pirogue to be able to feed my family.
I trusted you in 2012 and would like to renew that confidence in 2017. But first, I want you to make my voice heard at the highest levels of state. Today I am pleased to learn that you are meeting Greenpeace. The actions they performed on our shores in 2012 have borne fruit. You have decided to join Greenpeace today and I hope that after this meeting you will be better armed for my "Thieboudiene" to be preserved.
Two years ago, my annual consumption of fish was of 28kg. Today it has gone down to 26kg per year, yet my ancestors ate much more. What will happen to our children if we do not act responsibly? Maybe will they discover what a fish is in encyclopedias just like they do for Dinosaurs today!
We all know this sector generates many jobs and provides animal protein to millions of Senegalese. We also know that fish stocks have decreased sharply after the looting orchestrated by large trawlers from all around the world. We welcome President Macky Sall’s courageous decision to suspend fishing licenses granted to foreign pelagic vessels. These fleets are fierce opponents for us - a daily nightmare.
Today, my net is starting to fill up again and I hope that it will continue this way in the future. It is important to think about how to consolidate these achievements, for our children to inherit healthy oceans. This task is not only that of Greenpeace, but of all stakeholders, including representatives of the people you are.
I voted for you in order for you to think about tomorrow, about our children, about the modest Senegalese. I gave you my vote for fisheries to be better managed. For the small remaining fish stocks in the Senegalese waters not to be squandered. I urge you to ask decision-makers to deal with this problem, to reinforce yesterday’s strategies and establish those of tomorrow for the Senegalese heritage to be preserved.
I count on you for these huge monster boats that destroy everything in their path never to be welcome in our waters again. I count on you for the CRODT to be rehabilitated and be given the means to perform thorough research on the state of fish stocks and to propose actions for improved management of our resources. I count on you for the fishing code under revision to remedy the situation, for me not to want to shout '' Disaster! '' . We, artisanal fishermen, need leadership and I expect you to remind whom it may concern that we need support to better organize ourselves. My complaints are numerous, but for a start, I urge you to make my voice heard at the highest levels of state.
With that, I hope that your meeting with Greenpeace will be successful and that a concrete roadmap will result from it.
A fisherman