Produced by
France 24, Yes Sir Films and the Argos collectif
The odyssey of Senegalese fishermen from Lorient to Joal-Fadiouth
A multimedia report by Sebastien Daycard-Heid
Photographs: Guillaume Collanges
Fishermen throughout time have crossed the sea in search of more bountiful waters. They set sail from Brittany, Norway, the Basque country, Galicia, and now, Senegal…

These sailors hail from the small sliver of coast that stretches from the Senegalese capital of Dakar to the coastal town of Joal-Fadiouth. They have crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean for the past 10 years, docking at Vigo, A Coruña and Santander on Spain’s northern coast, making their way to the ports of Lorient, Guilvinec, Roscoff, Saint-Vaast and Cherbourg in northwestern France.

Yet a harsh reality lies behind these men’s decisions to take on such difficult jobs at French and Spanish fisheries. An increasing number of Senegalese fishermen are fleeing waters depleted by overfishing and migrating to Europe in search of a better life.

This is the story of their odyssey. It is also the story of the tragedy threatening the world’s oceans.