ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGES, AGRICULTURAL CRISIS AND SMALL-SCALE FISHING DEVELOPMENT IN THE CASAMANCE REGION, SENEGAL

Senegal is a West African country where the fishing industry is one of the most important sources of economic development. However, Senegal is currently experiencing a deep political and economic crisis, partly linked to the Sahel drought. In this context, international interventions have been necessary to sustain the economy, in particular to ensure the survival of small-scale fisheries. The last 15 years have seen an increasing number of development projects in Casamance, the southern region of Senegal. This paper examines these projects and their effects. First, artisanal fishery development at both national and regional level is discussed and its ecological, political, economic, social, and cultural implications are considered. Lastly, the short- and long-term future of small-scale fishing is discussed. Casamance has a strong regional identity because of its environment, population and history, but it is a good illustration of fishery development processes in Senegal and other West African countries, and indeed in all coastal tropical wetlands. One of the main lessons of this study is the flexibility of the farming system, based on agriculture and fishery, and the ability of the population to face environmental changes by diversifying their strategies.