Case 2-10 Concept of migrant fishermen: case of Lompoul, Grande-Côte
Key words | Migrant fishermen, established migrant fishermen, established fishermen, female migration, Saint-Luis, drift-net fishing |
Context | Migrant fishermen have various types including those who migrate every year in pursuit of fish and those who have already settled with their families in the destination area. Moreover, their relationships with the local people change over time. Therefore, it may be a misrepresentation to conceptualise them all as ‘migrant fishermen’. Here, the case of Lompoul in Grande-Côte, where many migratory fishermen from Saint-Louis are located, is used to clarify the concept of ‘migrant fishermen’. |
Content | In Lompoul, there is a significant activity of migrant fishermen who come from nearby areas such as Saint-Louis, Ganjor, and Fas Boye on fishing boats to engage in purse seine fishing in the coastal waters. Around 2004, the numbers of local fishing boats (47) and mobile fishing boats (54) were roughly balanced. However, the number of locally established fishing boats gradually increased. In 2022, there are 227 fishing boats that establish themselves in Lompoul throughout the year, of which 202 are owned by established fishermen in Lompoul, and 25 are owned by migrant fishermen who have established themselves in Lompoul. Additionally, 11 boats belong to migrant fishermen who operate in the coastal waters of Lompoul only during the fishing season. The ‘established fishermen’ here refers to those who were originally farmers and nomads, and learned to fish by boarding mobile fishing boats coming from Saint-Louis and other areas. The ‘established migrant fishermen’ are mainly those who came to Lompoul from Saint-Louis on mobile fishing boats, married local women, and became established in Lompoul. The first migrant fishermen settled in Lompoul in 1976; in 2022, the first to third generations of migrant fishermen have settled in Lompoul. The ‘migrant fishermen’ here are those who come to Lompoul from Saint-Louis by fishing boat only during the four months of the peak fishing season, stay in Lompoul, operate in the waters nearby, and land their catches in Lompoul. Of the eight CLPA Lompoul executive fishermen members, six are ‘established fishermen’ and two are ‘established migrant fishermen’. Both of the latter two are said to be the first generation of migrant fishermen who have established themselves in Lompoul. Fishermen working on the 11 migrant fishing vessels do not belong to CLPA Lompoul because they are members of the CLPA located in their area of origin. Some of the catch landed by the migrant boats is processed and sold by the wives of the migrant fishermen who come overland from Saint-Louis. At the fish processing plant attached to the landing site in Lompoul, the use of the processing tables is open to all those who pay an annual fee of XOF 6,000, regardless of whether they are local or migrant fishermen. The women of Lompoul and the migrants have a cordial relationship, and the women sometimes invite the migrants to their homes for family celebrations and enjoy their company. |
Lessons Learned | When considering the issue of migrant fishermen in resource management activities, it is important to recognise not only the so-called migrant fishermen who move seasonally in pursuit of fish stocks, but also the ‘established migrant fishermen’ who have settled in the target area. The attitudes of these ‘established migrant fishermen’ toward their current place of settlement and their social relationships with the local community change over generations. It is necessary to accurately grasp these dynamics and link them to sustainable resource management activities. Moreover, this case study suggests the need to pay attention to the migration of women, including the wives of migratory fishermen who come overland to process and distribute the catch they land in their new location, and the social relationships that accompany their migration. |
Guideline chapter relevant to this case study | Chapter 2 Establishing and strengthening the resource management implementation system 2.4 Involvement of migrant fishermenThere are two types of migrant fishermen: those who migrate each year in seasonal pursuit of fish, and those who have already settled with their families for several generations in the destination area. In many cases, the migrant fishermen are oriented toward their home village, and they have a strong sense that the place they are moving to is temporary. |
Situation to which this case study could refer | When conducting fisheries resource management in West African countries, the existence of ‘migrant fishermen’ who move with fish stocks as they migrate, or who go to remote fishing grounds in search of more marketable fish species, is a major challenge. The existence of migrant fishermen, who share the same production site (the fishing grounds) but have ambiguous relations with local communities, makes local resource management activities more difficult. It is necessary to understand first the status of migrant fishermen in the area, and this case study can be used in such a situation. |