The COVID-19 pandemic has blown away the entire globe in one way or the other. No one has ever imagined that this pandemic would be so long that the lives of people will suffer. This pandemic has not only destroyed the lives of people associated with some particular sector but it has ruined the livelihood of many. Senegal Fish Processors were no different in this scenario. The loss suffered by the Senegal fish processors is indispensable. The fishing industry is one of the major contributors to the overall food supply chain.

Senegal fish processors contribute approximately 17% of the GDP and fish is one of the prominent seafood that people consume for sustainability. With the advent of the pandemic, the whole fishing industry has suffered ranging from a daily wage laborer to an entrepreneur. It became very difficult for people to put the bread on the table amid this pandemic.

In Senegal, fish was preceded by various women and femmes transformations to provide the best seafood quality to the consumers. But, with the pandemic, various restrictions began to emerge. These restrictions put a time constraint on all the people associated with this industry. The fish were taken from the fishermen and after proper processing, they became ready for selling in the market. With the increase in cases and alarming situation of the pandemic, the overall movement of the people was halted. There were various restrictions imposed by which the people have to abide by.

The coastal communities of Senegal were not able to work as usual because they were not having enough time and resources to get the optimum output. Due to the decreased supply of fish in the local market, the prices began to take a hike in the market. This pandemic hit so hard that the normal price of a 50 Kg box increased by three times than usual. There were cross-country restrictions that hindered the movement of seafood from one place to another. With the pandemic, there was a large depreciation in the overall customer base.

With the increasing restrictions of the pandemic, the women’s capability to step out of their house and work was also limited as people could only work for three to four days a week. The fishes need to be processed in the stipulated time frame that further depreciated the production. Earlier it used to produce approximately three metric tons in a day that just fell to 500 Kgs in a day. This further led to the increase in the rate of the spoiling of fishes and ultimately deteriorating the lives of the people concerned with it.

The COVID-19 has impacted the nutritional levels of the people concerned with it. If this pandemic will persist for even longer than the lives of most of the people who are dependent upon it are at stake. People who work for fish processing are on the verge of contracting the virus because they have to work in congested areas that increase their risk of being prone to the novel virus.

Senegal communities of fisheries have suffered a lot due to the prevailing pandemic and if this situation further persists then it tends to take the lives of a larger lot. This pandemic has raised the need for sanitation among the people. It has made everyone realize how important it is to take care of hygiene and always keep on washing hands. This will further reduce the scope of getting in contact with seafood-borne diseases. The lives of the people have taken a U-turn with this ongoing pandemic.

No one is aware of the fact that this pandemic is going to stop. Senegal fish processors have faced a lot in these tough times. Their only source of income was ruined by this pandemic. They are at great risk of malnutrition and the pandemic has robbed them of their physical and mental health. It has become a great challenge for them to make both ends meet because the ongoing condition can lead to various repercussions in the coming time. Everyone is being affected by this pandemic in one way or the other. We just need to be together in this critical situation and have faith that this phase too shall pass.