And the boats have not a single fish to show for their toil. They have not even been able to put down a net. They slice through the glistening, clear green Atlantic Ocean waters, four miles offshore, seeking fish, but they spot only clusters of sardines. They see no fish they can sell. Now, with a flood of industrial vessels, many from abroad, and overwhelming numbers of Senegalese fishermen invading these waters, he is lucky to find fish even this far out.
Men use baskets to unload fish from boats.
But in recent years, traditional, or small-scale, fishermen in this West African country have seen their individual catches shrink as fishing has become more lucrative. They have seen fellow fishermen carve into their piece of the ocean, as well as more than two dozen industrial vessels from Asia, Canada and Europe. It's not good for us, but it's very profitable for the Europeans. For people such as Dieng, the sea is not just the source of family income. Five generations of his family have labored as fishermen.