The Catch

Foreign Policy
  • 4.4 (73)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • WEEKLY SERIES
The Catch

Small pelagic fish have been sustaining the communities of the Gambia and Senegal for centuries. But recently, foreign fleets have taken interest. China in particular has been processing large quantities of fish from the region into a product called fishmeal, to support animal feed and fish farms abroad. And as the fishmeal industry has grown, local communities’ food security has suffered, pushing many to migrate abroad. On season five of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi reports from the Gambia and Senegal to hear firsthand how the fishmeal plants are impacting these communities and whether the industry, which underpins much of aquaculture, can be turned sustainable for all.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    S5 Part I: A Legacy of Colonialism

    Small pelagic fish off the West African coast are being scooped up in large numbers and ground into a product called fishmeal. This fishmeal is then used to support animal production and aquafarms around the world. How is this industry impacting local fishers? And what does this mean for the global supply chain? Host Ruxandra Guidi partners with Gambian reporter Mustapha Manneh to look at fishmeal production in both the Gambia and Senegal for Season 5 of The Catch. Other voices in this episode include Sally Yozell, Senior Fellow and Director of the Environmental Security program at the Stimson Center and Dr. Ensa Touray, a historian at the University of The Gambia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    S5 Part II: The Arrival of the Fishmeal Plants

    Gambians eat an estimated 55 pounds of fish a year, the most fish consumed per person in the region. This trend is shifting, though, with the arrival of the fishmeal plants, which directly affect these communities' food security. And as local activist Lamin Jassey points out, the fishmeal plant companies "never asked [the community], they never asked the young people" whether they wanted these plants in the first place. Join host Ruxandra Guidi as she continues her look at the fishmeal industry in West Africa and hears directly from community leaders on how they're advocating for change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    S5 Part III: Sovereignty

    Foreign fleets off the Gambia’s shore are straining local fish stocks by “coming in at night and fishing illegally,” Sanyang fisher Alagie Gasama says. And the lack of enforcement, or even political will, by the government leaves these fishing communities to struggle on their own. On this episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi continues her journey along the Gambian coast by hearing directly from the fishers, processors, and local officials navigating these changes in their fish stocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    20 min

  4. EPISODE 5

    S5 Part V: Migration by Land and by Sea

    In a region characterized by high unemployment, food insecurity, and depleted fish stocks, many fishers are forced to migrate. The fishmeal plants dotting the coast have only exacerbated these existing problems, economist Rashid Sumaila notes, saying that “overfishing would still be an issue in West Africa without the plants. But the plants make them worse.” On this episode of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi and her reporting partners look into the migration crisis. Senegalese reporter Borso Tall shares her reporting from a village in the region of St. Louis directly impacted by a fishmeal plant. And Sumaila sits down with Guidi to share his take.We want to hear what The Catch means to you! Reach out to us at podcasts@foreignpolicy.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min

  5. EPISODE 6

    S5 Part VI: Women at the Helm

    According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, roughly 4 in 10 people working in small-scale fisheries are women. Half are fishers themselves, and half process the fish, like Cary Badgie, from Gambia, whom the reporting team met as she salted and preserved the local catch. Female activists and entrepreneurs also underpin these fishing communities, as you’ll hear from Senegalese climate activist Ndeye Yacine Dieng and local official and businesswoman Yayi Bayam Diouf, based in Dakar. Finally, host Ruxandra Guidi gets a perspective on a possible way forward for fishmeal production in a conversation with Libby Woodhatch, the executive chair of MarinTrust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min

  6. SEASON 5 TRAILER

    Season 5 of The Catch Coming Soon

    Coming up on Season 5 of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi reports from the Gambia and Senegal to hear firsthand how the fishmeal plants are impacting these communities and whether the industry, which underpins much of aquaculture, can be turned sustainable for all. Follow and listen to The Catch wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    2 min
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About

Small pelagic fish have been sustaining the communities of the Gambia and Senegal for centuries. But recently, foreign fleets have taken interest. China in particular has been processing large quantities of fish from the region into a product called fishmeal, to support animal feed and fish farms abroad. And as the fishmeal industry has grown, local communities’ food security has suffered, pushing many to migrate abroad. On season five of The Catch, host Ruxandra Guidi reports from the Gambia and Senegal to hear firsthand how the fishmeal plants are impacting these communities and whether the industry, which underpins much of aquaculture, can be turned sustainable for all.

Information

  • Channel
    Foreign Policy
  • Creator
    Foreign Policy
  • Episodes
    38
  • Seasons
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Foreign Policy
  • Show Website
    The Catch

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