Fishermen of Saint-Louis Struggle Against BP’s Gas Project

Wed Oct 22 2025 21:11:27 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In Senegal's Saint-Louis, fishermen are fighting against diminishing catches they attribute to BP's Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project. While BP insists on the project's benefits, local fishermen face an uncertain future, highlighting the need for balancing economic interests with community sustenance.

Fishermen in the northern Senegalese city of Saint-Louis are experiencing a dramatic decline in their catches, a situation they attribute to the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project operated by BP. Despite government assurances and promises of new artificial reefs to replace lost fishing grounds, local fishermen express frustration over restricted access, dwindling income, and increasing job loss in their communities. The project, while positioned as vital for Senegal's economic growth, raises serious concerns about its environmental impact and the livelihoods of those dependent on the sea.

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 he will get a better catch than 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.

Like him, many other small-scale, traditional fishermen in Saint-Louis - a major fishing hub - are facing hard times. The BBC has spoken to several fishermen and people linked to the fishing trade who all point to one cause - a liquefied natural gas platform that sits on the maritime border between Senegal and Mauritania, off the coast of Saint-Louis.

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 has a 56% working interest in the project, began its operation in Senegal in 2017 after the discovery of natural gas two years earlier. Described as one of the deepest and most 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.

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.

On a Tuesday morning, with weather conditions declared favourable, Mr Fall readies his wooden canoe painted with patterns of red, blue, yellow and other colours. With his hook and bait, he sets off for the day's fishing trip. After motoring 10km (6.2 miles) offshore, the young fisherman 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, Mr 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.

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 Agricultural Organisation (FAO). It also reportedly employs one in six people and represents about 3% of the country's GDP.

However, with the reduction in the number of fish in Saint-Louis, many are losing their jobs. 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.

While BP insists it is committed to operating responsibly alongside its partners and local communities, fishermen express the collective anxiety about maintaining their traditional lives amidst industrial expansion. They fear that the future of their livelihoods and their community culture is at stake.

With calls for accountability multiplier, the fishermen remain determined to voice their struggle, asserting, We only have the sea to live on. The future remains uncertain for those whose lives have been intertwined with the waves and winds of the sea.