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The Yaboi is a tiny silver fish from West Africa, rich in essential nutrients. It used to be known as ‘the people’s fish’, a staple for lunch for Senegal’s children.
But the Yaboi is hard to fish and land these days. Overfishing and illegal fishing have put a strain on stocks but there’s another pressure. In the last five years foreign owned fishmeal factories have multiplied along the coast of West Africa. There were five in operation in Senegal in 2015. By 2018 another three had opened. In neighbouring Mauritania there are 35 more. These factories rely on small pelagic fish like Yaboi to make fishmeal which is exported to feed livestock and pets and which is also converted into fish oil to feed to farmed fish in Europe and China – in particular salmon.

In the first programme we consider how feeding fish like Yaboi to carnivorous fish like salmon is re-routing essential nutrients away from people in Senegal to nourish consumers in wealthier countries. Salmon is the most farmed fish in Europe and is in huge demand. We hear from school children in Sweden where all children have access to free meals until the age of 16 and salmon is one of the most popular fish. Professor Christina Hicks explains why, from a nutritional angle, the Swedish model is a useful one. We hear from school teachers, school children and a nutritionist in Senegal who describe why the Yaboi is essential to child nutrition there. We hear how there is no free school meals safety net to support families. Arni Mathiesen, Independent Chair of the Roundtable on Marine Ingredients, explains the alternative sources which can also be used for salmon feed.

Presenter: Hazel Healy
Producer: Sarah Cuddon

(Photo: Diaba Dop holds up a Yaboi. Credit: Hazel Healy)