Working alongside emerging hydrocarbon extraction: Insights from Senegal's artisanal fishing sector

Abstract

The objective of this article is to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of artisanal fishermen in Senegal regarding the effects of the future ban on artisanal fishing in marine areas, and the degradation of fishery resources and the environment that hydrocarbon exploitation will likely cause. A survey of 120 fishermen was conducted at four fishing and oil development sites. Latent Class Analysis from fishermen demographics revealed three distinct groups: local established fishermen (class 1 – 59% of the sample), settled mixed fishermen (class 2 – 26%), and migratory full-time fishermen (class 3 – 15%). Comparisons between groups of fishermen showed that local established fishermen reported a significantly higher level of information than the other classes of fishermen. However, only 25% of participants in all classes reported feeling adequately informed. The overall level of information and risk perception was moderate, with no significant difference between the classes of fishermen. Concerns about hydrocarbon extraction projects, the perceived risk of exacerbating conflicts, and views on the compatibility of hydrocarbons with fisheries and on economic compensation appear to be widely shared and homogeneous. Finally, report of willingness to engage collective action, although moderate, was present in all the classes despite the existence of conflicts of use between groups of fishermen. These results suggest a dissociation between the objective level of information and the participants' feelings, underlining the need for better communication adapted to all profiles. This underscores the critical importance of understanding human attitudes towards hydrocarbon exploitation, as it is instrumental in facilitating informed decision-making and the formulation of long-term development strategies that promote harmonious coexistence between fishing and hydrocarbon exploitation.