On a beach in the West African State of Senegal, a traditional fishing canoe is dwarfed by the rusting hulk of a giant European trawler. It's a stark image which sums up the unequal battle that Senegal's fishing communities face - against the elements, against the big industrial fishing vessels, against the might of the European Union and against dwindling fish stocks.

Senegalese waters are at the centre of a bitter fight over fishing rights. For more than twenty years foreign fleets have been given licences to fish here on a huge scale. For poor maritime countries eager to boost their export revenues, the selling of fishing licenses to EU and other countries has become one of the few ways to bring in much needed revenue.

But the short term hard cash benefits have come at a higher price than anticipated. The once-teeming stocks are now dwindling. First shrimp, then tuna and even the fish of the poor, sardines, are being overfished. The fishery, one of Senegal's most valuable assets, could be in jeopardy.

Now the Senegalese want to try save their fish before it's too late. The fishing agreement between Senegal is up for renewal, but the negotiations with the EU have become deadlocked, and as of 1 January 2002 EU vessels have not been allowed to fish in Senegalese waters.

The Law of the Sea

The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This international agreement gave countries jurisdiction over the sea 200 miles out from their coastlines. Overnight poor maritime countries like Senegal gained enormous resources in the form of fish stocks.

But with an inshore fishing fleet of traditional wooden canoes, or pirogues, Senegal was unable to reap the full harvest of its waters. Heavily debt-ridden, the temptation to sign away fishing rights to industrialised nations, was immense.

Sold off to Europe

Europeans were among the first to sign agreements allowing them access to the abundant West African fishing grounds. In the late 1970s, surplus capacity in European fishing fleets combined with over-fishing in European waters meant EU vessels started looking elsewhere for business.

Fish became Senegal's most valuable resource and quickly topped the list of Senegal's exports. Meanwhile Europe's demand proved insatiable.

'Clear-felling' the Ocean

A dramatic increase in the world market for fish and fish products further fuelled the EU drive to fish in foreign waters. Over the last two decades, ever more efficient industrial fishing practices have depleted the marine ecology of West Africa. This kind of fishing, using large trawl nets and factory ships has been compared to clear-felling a forest.

Protein for the Poor

As one stock after the other has become depleted, the EU fleet has moved from species to species, following the classic pattern of "fishing down the food chain". These catches are often the fish that make up the staple source of proteins and other vital nutrients for the coastal populations in developing countries.

Many Senegalese rely on fish for 75 per cent of their protein intake. However, as industrial fishing continues, fish prices rise and Senegal's national dish of fish and rice has become a luxury for most people.

The picture was exacerbated in the early 1980s as a series of droughts drove an already starving population to the coast in search of food and work. The arrival of these environmental refugees coincided with the opening up of Senegal's fishing grounds to Europe's fleets.

In Deep Water

The government had unwittingly created an unfair contest severely biased against the coastal communities. European trawlers have scooped up the lion's share of the fish stocks leaving them severely depleted. Now the traditional fishermen are forced to sail their small open pirogues ever further out to sea in search of a decent catch. Intended as inshore craft, the pirogues are being sailed up to 200 miles offshore, where they are very vulnerable in the open ocean. Safety equipment such as lifejackets is non-existent - drowning is an all too common occurance. All for a catch consisting mainly of low-grade sardinelle, or "poor man's fish".

Letting the 'Pirates' off the Hook

The EU has been accused of being lax over the activities of unlicensed fishing vessels. A number of vessels operating out of EU ports fly either with the Senegalese flag or another country's flag, or even with a flag of convenience - where a country sells its flag to a fishing company but controls nothing in terms of their activities, where they fish, what they catch. It means that unknown quantities of fish are being caught in all kinds of African waters and exported to industrialised countries.

To avoid the coastal patrols, clandestine vessels sometimes turn their lights off while fishing illegally. Not only are they plundering the fish stocks, they also pose a very real threat to frail pirogues. When sailing too close to large trawlers, it happens that small boats get smashed and their crew killed.

Dead in the Water

As the fishery shrinks, commercial fleets are catching ever smaller less economic fish. Anything between 80 and 90% is thrown back in the water dead. And very often these are the fish that form the backbone of the artisanal fishery. But the European Union argues that it is only taking resources which are commensurate with the needs of sustainability.

However, pressure from environmental groups like WWF and Greenpeace puts EU policies under scrutiny.

Working with the Enemy

The increased competition for jobs has forced many fishermen to leave Senegal and seek work elsewhere. Many have ended up finding work on fishing boats operating out of Spain's trawler ports. Ironically, many Senegalese fishermen are now working on the very vessels that robbed them of their livelihood in the first place.

Taking a Stand

Senegalese experiences confirms the findings of a recent report published by the United Nations Environment Programme, which warned that coastal countries that open their waters to foreign fishing fleets, lose far more - billions of dollars in fact, than they gain.

The newly-elected government in Senegal has decided to make a stand. Like most of Africa, Senegal is burdened by debt repayment and badly needs the export revenues received from fish. But now it seems the Government is determined to balance the country's need for hard cash against the more pressing need to maintain food security for its own population.

Bones of Contention

Up to now negotiations for a renewal of a five year licence for the EU to fish in Senegalese waters have been in stalemate. One of the bones of contention has been that the EU wants to fish in Senegalese waters during the designated rest period in September when the fish are spawning. Another is the area which would be licensed to an EU fishing fleet.

Hard Lessons

It appears that late in the day, a poor country is taking sustainable exploitation seriously. Hard lessons are showing that when fishing access is not rooted in marine science and local needs are ignored, fisheries are endangered. Their recovery in African waters and not simply revenues must be given priority.

But its a difficult decision for a debt-ridden government badly in need of the financial compensation. For the first time Senegal is calling the shots, but Spain now has the presidency of the EU. And Spain has proved to be immune to international condemnation of its predatory fishing practices. So Senegal will be watching their conduct closely before committing themselves to another agreement.

So will their success presage a new era where the demands of the environment are evenly balanced against those of the markets?

It's a step in the right direction but despite a moratorium, the fisheries off the grand banks of Canada have never recovered. African fisheries could be next to suffer that fate.