DAKAR, Senegal — The European Union has decided not to extend its fishing agreement with Senegal, a decision announced by the EU delegation in the West African nation on Tuesday.

This choice follows the EU’s designation of Senegal as a “non-cooperating country” in the battle against illegal fishing earlier this year, due to “deficiencies in monitoring, control, and surveillance systems” regarding both Senegalese vessels operating in international waters and foreign ships docked in Dakar, the nation’s capital.

“In anticipation of positive changes, the current agreement with Senegal will not see a renewal,” the statement indicated. Consequently, European fishing vessels are required to exit Senegalese waters once the agreement concludes on Sunday, and Senegal will cease to receive any financial benefits tied to the deal.

Senegal’s government had not released an immediate reaction to the announcement.

The existing accord, established in 2019, permits European fishing fleets to operate within Senegalese waters, but it has faced significant criticism locally, particularly as fish stocks in the region have been declining for over a decade due to overfishing practices.

According to the United States Agency for International Development, fisheries are a source of livelihood for one in six individuals in Senegal. However, local fishermen express frustration at their inability to compete with large foreign trawlers, often struggling to catch enough fish to sustain their businesses.

The EU has maintained that the agreement contributes negligibly to overfishing concerns, stating that the catch carried out by European vessels accounts for less than 1% of the total reported landings by all fleets operating in Senegalese waters over the past five years.

The reevaluation of the EU-Senegal fishing agreement was a significant campaign promise made by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office in March. In May, he initiated an audit of both the fishing industry and the existing agreement with the EU, but the findings of this review have yet to be made public.