Over 2,000 Senegalese and Ivorian tuna fishermen working for EU firms went on strike last week.
While it was suspended after four days, the strike halted 80% of EU-based fishing in the Gulf of Guinea and the Indian Ocean. Why’d they do it?
- Low pay: some are reportedly paid $219/month (the International Labour Organisation sets a minimum of $658/month), and
- Low sustainability: the firms were allegedly violating EU fishing pacts with the countries in whose coastal waters they operate.
One European fishing industry body has denied the allegations.
Intrigue’s take: A big reason why these allegations went unnoticed for so long is that fishing firms spend a lot to lobby the EU. In fact, more than half of the EU’s delegation to a recent crucial tuna summit was reportedly made up of fishing industry lobbyists.
But it’s hard to keep looking the other way when 80% of your operations go down.
Also worth noting:
- The fishing companies reportedly settled the strike by agreeing to pay crews a new interim wage of ~$500/month.
- Yellowfin tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean may be depleted by 2026 without more sustainable practices.
