Yoff - The fishing village
Yoff is among the oldest towns in this part of Africa and is first mentioned in 1432. Its distinct vibrant character is strongly influenced by its fishing traditions and the economy revolving around it.
This town of about 50,000 has lost part of its communal lands in the 70s. The government later seized these lands and constructed Yoff International Airport on the lands.
Since 1996 it is renamed after Senegal's first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Iba GAYE is the secretary general of the 'Groupement interprofessionel de la pêche' of Yoff (on the photo above together with Lamine DIABAN, a member of the group.
He sees the Mare Nostrum project as a way to give a voice to the fishermen. See the his message to the Mare Nostrum - the Voice of West Africa project (video).
Iba GAYE is a very experienced leader rooted in the long professional and cultural tradition of the place and its people, who have never stopped developing and innovating their community and finding new blends between traditions and modern perspectives. See another short sequence taken on the beach with him and Lamine DIABAN (video). Against the background of postharvest activities on the beach in Yoff, the two keep explaining their expectations about the future implementation phase (video) of the project.
With the help of Aliou, Carla met with several more people, including Ibrahima Diene, one of the fishermen. Ibrahima Diene, called Para by his friends, also serves in the municipal council. Hear what he has to say (video) on YouTube.