Films
Adrift: Senegal’s coastal crisis and the deadly route to Europe
Abdou and his father are separated by 1,500 km of ocean – a distance Abdou travelled in November 2020. He left Joal-Fadiouth, a fishing town in Senegal, and eventually reached Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Morocco, after spending approximately fourteen days at sea in a wooden fishing boat. This route, increasingly used by people in West Africa to reach Europe, is considered one of the most deadly on Earth. For Abdou, his loved ones, and thousands of others along Senegal’s coastline, the fishing they once depended on is no longer an option. With few alternatives, more and more people are being pushed toward life-threatening journeys, seeking opportunities elsewhere. This escalating, intersecting crisis demands urgent attention and action.
Adrift: Senegal’s coastal crisis and the deadly route to Europe
Abdou and his father are separated by 1,500 km of ocean – a distance Abdou travelled in November 2020. He left Joal-Fadiouth, a fishing town in Senegal, and eventually reached Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Morocco, after spending approximately fourteen days at sea in a wooden fishing boat. This route, increasingly used by people in West Africa to reach Europe, is considered one of the most deadly on Earth.
For Abdou, his loved ones, and thousands of others along Senegal’s coastline, the fishing they once depended on is no longer an option. With few alternatives, more and more people are being pushed toward life-threatening journeys, seeking opportunities elsewhere. This escalating, intersecting crisis demands urgent attention and action.
À la dérive : La crise du littoral sénégalais et la route funeste vers l'Europe
Abdou et son père sont séparés par 1 500 km d'océan - une distance qu'Abdou a parcourue en novembre 2020. Parti de Joal-Fadiouth, une ville de pêcheurs au Sénégal, il a atteint Ténériffe, une île espagnole au large du Maroc, après avoir passé environ quatorze jours en mer sur un bateau de pêche en bois. Cette route, de plus en plus empruntée par les habitants de l'Afrique de l'Ouest pour rejoindre l'Europe, est considérée comme l'une des plus meurtrières au monde.
Pour Abdou, ses proches et des milliers d'autres personnes le long de la côte sénégalaise, la pêche dont ils dépendaient autrefois n'est plus une option. Avec peu d'alternatives, de plus en plus de personnes sont poussées à entreprendre des voyages qui mettent leur vie en danger, à la recherche d'opportunités ailleurs. Cette crise qui s'aggrave et s'entrecroise exige une attention et une action urgentes.
ชุดเครื่องมือสากลเพื่อการกำกับดูแลการประมงแบบมีส่วนร่วม
Ola Elvestuen: "We need a moratorium in international waters and in Norway"
“Deep-sea mining will have a graver impact than the Norwegian government realises today”. Norway must not go ahead with deep-sea mining, says Ola Elvestuen MP.
Astrid Puentes Riaño: deep-sea mining will perpetuate systematic inequalities
Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment, speaks on how deep-sea mining would perpetuate systemic inequalities. She says that instead, we have to think about how to repair and restore all ecosystems, including coastal ecosystems and oceans, instead of increasing the damages that humanity already has done.
Radio Dadaab
This report tells the stories of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis in Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya. These stories highlight the devastating impacts of the drought in the Horn of Africa and the link between global heating and forced displacement.
National fishers' organisations – EU-funded global toolkit
These associations can play a pivotal role in advocating for improved fisheries management, reducing IUU fishing, and sustainable coastal livelihoods, serving as a common voice that can highlight the plights of their constituents.
Collaborative management associations – EU-funded global toolkit
Fisheries co-management can give fishing communities a voice by connecting local actors with those at the local, regional, national and international level to raise concerns about the various pressures placed on coastal livelihoods.
Community surveillance – EU-funded global toolkit
Community surveillance schemes can detect a range of issues, such as illegal fishing, destructive fishing, and pollution. Within the context of this toolkit, it is predominantly aimed at detecting and reporting illegal fishing.
Reports
The Deadly Route to Europe: How illegal fishing and overfishing in Senegal is driving migration
This report documents the impacts of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Senegal. It examines how the resulting declines in fish populations are driving increased forced migration to Europe across Earth's most deadly migration route, leading to over 3000 deaths in 2023 alone.
This report documents the impacts of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Senegal. It examines how the resulting declines in fish populations are driving increased forced migration to Europe across Earth's most deadly migration route, leading to over 3000 deaths in 2023 alone.
Net Free Seas: From waste to waves of change: From 2019–2025, NFS collected and recycled 200 tonnes of discarded fishing gear, generating over 2.3 million THB (717,000 NOK) in revenues and turning waste into new products. The project now spans 20 community centres across 8 provinces, with 13 storage hubs. Through community action, outreach, cleanups and high-level engagements, the project has fostered a national network of informed, empowered stakeholders to champion ocean conservation. The project combines community action, advocacy, and policy engagement to build a circular economy mode for ALDFG. As it scales beyond, NFS offers a blueprint for sustainable fishing gear management and a replicable solution to ALDFG in Southeast Asia.
From 2019–2025, NFS collected and recycled 200 tonnes of discarded fishing gear, generating over 2.3 million THB (717,000 NOK) in revenues and turning waste into new products. The project now spans 20 community centres across 8 provinces, with 13 storage hubs. Through community action, outreach, cleanups and high-level engagements, the project has fostered a national network of informed, empowered stakeholders to champion ocean conservation. The project combines community action, advocacy, and policy engagement to build a circular economy mode for ALDFG. As it scales beyond, NFS offers a blueprint for sustainable fishing gear management and a replicable solution to ALDFG in Southeast Asia.
Reviving ocean life in EU marine protected areas: Across EU seas, destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, continue to degrade critical marine ecosystems, undermine food security, and threaten coastal livelihoods. Urgent action is needed to ensure Member States uphold their legal obligations and environmental commitments, safeguard marine biodiversity, and secure the long-term health of Europe’s seas.
Across EU seas, destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, continue to degrade critical marine ecosystems, undermine food security, and threaten coastal livelihoods. Urgent action is needed to ensure Member States uphold their legal obligations and environmental commitments, safeguard marine biodiversity, and secure the long-term health of Europe’s seas.
เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในระดับนานาชาติ เพื่อสร้างการบริหารจัดการแบบมีส่วนร่วม: คู่มือฉบับนี้จัดทำขึ้นโดยมูลนิธิความยุติธรรมเชิงสิ่งแวดล้อม (Environmental Justice Foundation: EJF) โดยได้รับทุนสนับสนุนจาก สหภาพยุโรป (EU) ทำหน้าที่ให้แนวทางความรู้เฉพาะด้านสำหรับผู้ปฏิบัติงานที่ทำงานร่วมกับชุมชนประมงรายย่อย โดยมีเป้าหมายเพื่อเสริมสร้างศักยภาพของคนกลุ่มนี้ในการต่อสู้กับการทำประมง ผิดกฎหมาย ขาดการรายงาน และไร้การควบคุม (IUU) รวมถึงทำงานเพื่อสร้างการประมงที่ยั่งยืน ถูกกฎหมาย และมีจริยธรรม
คู่มือฉบับนี้จัดทำขึ้นโดยมูลนิธิความยุติธรรมเชิงสิ่งแวดล้อม (Environmental Justice Foundation: EJF) โดยได้รับทุนสนับสนุนจาก สหภาพยุโรป (EU) ทำหน้าที่ให้แนวทางความรู้เฉพาะด้านสำหรับผู้ปฏิบัติงานที่ทำงานร่วมกับชุมชนประมงรายย่อย โดยมีเป้าหมายเพื่อเสริมสร้างศักยภาพของคนกลุ่มนี้ในการต่อสู้กับการทำประมง ผิดกฎหมาย ขาดการรายงาน และไร้การควบคุม (IUU) รวมถึงทำงานเพื่อสร้างการประมงที่ยั่งยืน ถูกกฎหมาย และมีจริยธรรม
- Download the English version of the toolkit here
- Télécharger la Boîte à Outils en version française ici
Communities for Fisheries issue brief: July to December 2024 project update: The European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project aims to create skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations (CMAs) to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia. This brief summarises the project’s activities during the second half of Year Five, July to December 2024.
The European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project aims to create skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations (CMAs) to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia. This brief summarises the project’s activities during the second half of Year Five, July to December 2024.
Deutschland als Vorreiter beim Schutz der Meere – Empfehlungen für die nächste Legislaturperiode: Um unsere Zukunft zu sichern, müssen wir dafür sorgen, dass sich unsere Meere erholen und weiter gedeihen können. Dieses Kurzbriefing zeigt auf, wie die neue Bundesregierung in wichtigen Bereichen handeln kann, um unsere Meere und die Menschen, die von ihnen abhängig sind, zu schützen.
Um unsere Zukunft zu sichern, müssen wir dafür sorgen, dass sich unsere Meere erholen und weiter gedeihen können. Dieses Kurzbriefing zeigt auf, wie die neue Bundesregierung in wichtigen Bereichen handeln kann, um unsere Meere und die Menschen, die von ihnen abhängig sind, zu schützen.
From Commitments to Action: A vision for the European Ocean Pact: The ocean is increasingly under threat from destructive and illegal practices, both within and beyond Europe. The EU has the necessary tools to protect the ocean from these threats, but they are not fully implemented or enforced. The European Ocean Pact must outline actions to ensure the effective implementation of EU laws aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and protecting marine biodiversity, while preventing emerging threats such as deep-sea mining.
The ocean is increasingly under threat from destructive and illegal practices, both within and beyond Europe. The EU has the necessary tools to protect the ocean from these threats, but they are not fully implemented or enforced.
The European Ocean Pact must outline actions to ensure the effective implementation of EU laws aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and protecting marine biodiversity, while preventing emerging threats such as deep-sea mining.