\'We only have the sea to live on\' - Senegal\'s fishermen blame BP project for lack of fish
BP says concerns about Senegalese fishing stocks predate the gas project.
BBC
Every day, Gora Fall, a fisherman in Senegal\'s northern city of Saint-Louis, heads to sea with a mix of emotions: hope and frustration.
He hopes to catch something better than he did the previous day, yet he is frustrated by the thought that whatever he finds might not meet his needs.
"Before, we worked to live, but now we just work to survive," says the 25-year-old.
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project is operated by the British multinational oil and gas giant BP as part of a joint venture with Kosmos Energy, as well as Petrosen and SMH, the national oil companies of Senegal and Mauritania, respectively.
BP, which holds a 56% working interest in the project, began operating in Senegal in 2017, following the discovery of natural gas two years prior.
Described as one of the most profound and complex gas development schemes in Africa, the first phase of the multi-billion-dollar offshore project is expected to produce roughly 2.3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year for over 20 years.
Competition
However, residents of Saint-Louis say this also comes with restrictions on fishing, which 90% of the city\'s population of over 250 000 rely on for a livelihood.
With his hook and bait, he sets off for the day\'s fishing trip.
After motoring 10km (6.2 miles) offshore, Fall approaches the giant gas facility. But he says he cannot get any closer due to a 500m exclusion zone, which restricts fishing.
"The authorities forbid us to fish in that area of the platform, under penalty of confiscation or even destruction of our fishing equipment if we access it," Fall tells the BBC.
Fishermen say the platform is built around a natural reef rich with fish – the restrictions mean their catches are smaller and they barely earn a living. This has compounded the difficulties they already faced with competition for fish from large international trawlers.
"We are very frustrated," says Fall.
"Now we can stay until 16:00 twiddling our thumbs, without fish."
BP says concerns about Senegalese fishing stocks predate the gas project, telling the BBC in a statement: "Safety zones around infrastructure are standard practice to protect people and assets."
Coexistence
During a forum held in Saint-Louis in October 2024, Senegal\'s Energy Minister, Birame Souleye Diop, expressed the need for oil and gas exploitation to coexist with fishing, which he described as essential to the local community.
Fishing accounts for nearly 60 000 direct jobs and more than half a million indirect jobs in Senegal, according to the UN\'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It also reportedly employs one in six people and accounts for approximately 3% of the country\'s GDP.
The majority of those working in the sector are small-scale, traditional, or "artisanal" fishermen and processors.
Diamol Sène, who dries salted fish in the sun, says some of the women who previously worked alongside her at a fish processing site are now unemployed.
"Fish has become too expensive, transport costs are high. Today, we earn just enough to cover expenses," says the mother of 10.
"If the canoes could go out to sea and come back with [abundant] catches, all the women would return to the site to work," she says.
Centuries-old practice
Fishermen say they used to earn between $445 and $625 (£330 and £465) from a single fishing trip, but nowadays, they struggle to make even $90.
Dwindling profits are prompting many fishermen, including Mr Fall, to consider abandoning their centuries-old practice, which is viewed more as a tradition than a trade.
"We are forced to continue our fishing activity, because we have no other choice," he says.
"But if a job opportunity arises, we will seize it without hesitation."
Others have already abandoned fishing for alternative opportunities, including migrating to Europe.
One of those no longer fishing is 38-year-old Saer Diop. Since 2021, the long-time fisherman has also been working as a carpenter, producing, repairing, and painting canoes.
He developed the skill at a much younger age and now sees it as a lifeline in the face of adversity.
"Currently, I earn a better living with carpentry than with fishing," he says.
While he admits that the work as a carpenter is irregular, he feels that fishing has become "very difficult" because of the gas project.
BP insists it is "committed to operating responsibly" alongside its partners and local communities.
While celebrating the launch of gas exports from the facility in April 2025, the energy minister called for "continuous vigilance to guarantee the efficiency, transparency and sustainability of economic benefits for the population".
Artificial reefs
The government also hailed the gas project as one that strengthens the country\'s positioning on the global energy scene, earning vital foreign exchange.
Members of a local association representing artisanal fishermen in Saint-Louis claim that BP has failed to fulfil its promise to create artificial reefs, which would enable them to catch more fish.
These reefs were intended to serve as an alternative, given that access to the natural reef, known locally as Diattara, is restricted.
"When they came in 2019, they told people: \'We\'re going to build you eight artificial reefs\' to at least replace our Diattara," says Nalla Diop, the spokesperson of the fishermen\'s association.
However, he says that six years on, "nothing has been done".
The BBC obtained documents from a study conducted by Senegal\'s Oceanographic Research Centre of Dakar-Thiaroye (CRODT), which showed that 12 potential sites were initially explored for hosting artificial reefs. Out of these, six were identified as viable.
Dr Modou Thiaw, a senior researcher at CRODT who was among those who led the study, says only two of the sites were later identified and proposed to BP.
He describes the process of delivering an artificial reef as "super slow".
Immediate benefits
In a statement, BP says between 2021 and 2023, feasibility studies and further evaluation revealed that only two of the 12 reef sites were "assessed as being feasible for a reef of a substantial size to be deployed without risk of submergence or scouring".
"One of those sites was within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Saint-Louis and therefore was not put forward, given it would not provide immediate benefits to Saint-Louis fisherfolk," the statement adds.
BP says the chosen site will host a substantial reef complex, comprising 10 reef clusters.
"Work is already under way, and the reef is expected to be completed by the end of 2025," BP says.
The company says an environmental and social impact assessment approved in 2018 concluded that the loss of potential fishing grounds in Mauritania and Senegal as a result of the gas project would be "negligible".
Amid the back-and-forth debate about the feasibility of artificial reefs, another point of discord is the location.
However, BP says that a technical evaluation concluded a "cluster" of "reef pyramids" in that location allows for more effective management and protection of the reef.
The Senegalese government stated that a gas leak occurred in February 2025 – described by BP as "gas bubbles" – in one of the wells operated by the oil and gas giant.
The incident raised concerns about the safety of marine life in the vicinity of the facility.
Every day, Gora Fall, a fisherman in Senegal\'s northern city of Saint-Louis, heads to sea with a mix of emotions: hope and frustration.
He hopes to catch something better than he did the previous day, yet he is frustrated by the thought that whatever he finds might not meet his needs.
"Before, we worked to live, but now we just work to survive," says the 25-year-old.
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project is operated by the British multinational oil and gas giant BP as part of a joint venture with Kosmos Energy, as well as Petrosen and SMH, the national oil companies of Senegal and Mauritania, respectively.
BP, which holds a 56% working interest in the project, began operating in Senegal in 2017, following the discovery of natural gas two years prior.
Described as one of the most profound and complex gas development schemes in Africa, the first phase of the multi-billion-dollar offshore project is expected to produce roughly 2.3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year for over 20 years.
Competition
However, residents of Saint-Louis say this also comes with restrictions on fishing, which 90% of the city\'s population of over 250 000 rely on for a livelihood.
With his hook and bait, he sets off for the day\'s fishing trip.
After motoring 10km (6.2 miles) offshore, Fall approaches the giant gas facility. But he says he cannot get any closer due to a 500m exclusion zone, which restricts fishing.
"The authorities forbid us to fish in that area of the platform, under penalty of confiscation or even destruction of our fishing equipment if we access it," Fall tells the BBC.
Fishermen say the platform is built around a natural reef rich with fish – the restrictions mean their catches are smaller and they barely earn a living. This has compounded the difficulties they already faced with competition for fish from large international trawlers.
"We are very frustrated," says Fall.
"Now we can stay until 16:00 twiddling our thumbs, without fish."
BP says concerns about Senegalese fishing stocks predate the gas project, telling the BBC in a statement: "Safety zones around infrastructure are standard practice to protect people and assets."
Coexistence
During a forum held in Saint-Louis in October 2024, Senegal\'s Energy Minister, Birame Souleye Diop, expressed the need for oil and gas exploitation to coexist with fishing, which he described as essential to the local community.
Fishing accounts for nearly 60 000 direct jobs and more than half a million indirect jobs in Senegal, according to the UN\'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It also reportedly employs one in six people and accounts for approximately 3% of the country\'s GDP.
The majority of those working in the sector are small-scale, traditional, or "artisanal" fishermen and processors.
Diamol Sène, who dries salted fish in the sun, says some of the women who previously worked alongside her at a fish processing site are now unemployed.
"Fish has become too expensive, transport costs are high. Today, we earn just enough to cover expenses," says the mother of 10.
"If the canoes could go out to sea and come back with [abundant] catches, all the women would return to the site to work," she says.
Centuries-old practice
Fishermen say they used to earn between $445 and $625 (£330 and £465) from a single fishing trip, but nowadays, they struggle to make even $90.
Dwindling profits are prompting many fishermen, including Mr Fall, to consider abandoning their centuries-old practice, which is viewed more as a tradition than a trade.
"We are forced to continue our fishing activity, because we have no other choice," he says.
"But if a job opportunity arises, we will seize it without hesitation."
Others have already abandoned fishing for alternative opportunities, including migrating to Europe.
One of those no longer fishing is 38-year-old Saer Diop. Since 2021, the long-time fisherman has also been working as a carpenter, producing, repairing, and painting canoes.
He developed the skill at a much younger age and now sees it as a lifeline in the face of adversity.
"Currently, I earn a better living with carpentry than with fishing," he says.
While he admits that the work as a carpenter is irregular, he feels that fishing has become "very difficult" because of the gas project.
BP insists it is "committed to operating responsibly" alongside its partners and local communities.
While celebrating the launch of gas exports from the facility in April 2025, the energy minister called for "continuous vigilance to guarantee the efficiency, transparency and sustainability of economic benefits for the population".
Artificial reefs
The government also hailed the gas project as one that strengthens the country\'s positioning on the global energy scene, earning vital foreign exchange.
Members of a local association representing artisanal fishermen in Saint-Louis claim that BP has failed to fulfil its promise to create artificial reefs, which would enable them to catch more fish.
These reefs were intended to serve as an alternative, given that access to the natural reef, known locally as Diattara, is restricted.
"When they came in 2019, they told people: \'We\'re going to build you eight artificial reefs\' to at least replace our Diattara," says Nalla Diop, the spokesperson of the fishermen\'s association.
However, he says that six years on, "nothing has been done".
The BBC obtained documents from a study conducted by Senegal\'s Oceanographic Research Centre of Dakar-Thiaroye (CRODT), which showed that 12 potential sites were initially explored for hosting artificial reefs. Out of these, six were identified as viable.
Dr Modou Thiaw, a senior researcher at CRODT who was among those who led the study, says only two of the sites were later identified and proposed to BP.
He describes the process of delivering an artificial reef as "super slow".
Immediate benefits
In a statement, BP says between 2021 and 2023, feasibility studies and further evaluation revealed that only two of the 12 reef sites were "assessed as being feasible for a reef of a substantial size to be deployed without risk of submergence or scouring".
"One of those sites was within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Saint-Louis and therefore was not put forward, given it would not provide immediate benefits to Saint-Louis fisherfolk," the statement adds.
BP says the chosen site will host a substantial reef complex, comprising 10 reef clusters.
"Work is already under way, and the reef is expected to be completed by the end of 2025," BP says.
The company says an environmental and social impact assessment approved in 2018 concluded that the loss of potential fishing grounds in Mauritania and Senegal as a result of the gas project would be "negligible".
Amid the back-and-forth debate about the feasibility of artificial reefs, another point of discord is the location.
However, BP says that a technical evaluation concluded a "cluster" of "reef pyramids" in that location allows for more effective management and protection of the reef.
The Senegalese government stated that a gas leak occurred in February 2025 – described by BP as "gas bubbles" – in one of the wells operated by the oil and gas giant.
The incident raised concerns about the safety of marine life in the vicinity of the facility.
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