In the coastal nation of Senegal, a complex interplay between global market demands and local food security is unfolding. Despite an increase in fish landings, the proliferation of the fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) industry, driven by the insatiable global appetite for products like supermarket salmon, is not only failing to alleviate national food insecurity but is exacerbating it.
Research about ‘Dried up Fish’ sheds light on how FMFO industry’s competition with local dried fish processors for small pelagic fish – a dietary staple for the impoverished – is “resulting in decreased availability and increased prices of locally consumed fish” (Wolfert, 2024). This situation is affecting traditional sectors like Ketiakh processors, who play a crucial role in ensuring food security by providing affordable protein and income opportunities within local and sub-regional markets.