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Abstract Background Following WHO guidelines, microscopy is the gold standard for malaria diagnosis in endemic countries. The Parasitology-Mycology laboratory (LPM) is the National Reference Laboratory and is currently undergoing ISO 15189 accreditation. In this context, we assessed the performance of the laboratory by confirming the reliability and the accuracy of results obtained in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 15189 standards. This study aimed to verify the method of microscopic diagnosis of malaria at the LPM, in the Aristide Le Dantec hospital (HALD) in Dakar, Senegal. Methods This is a validation/verification study conducted from June to August 2020. Twenty (20) microscopic slides of thick/thin blood smear with known parasite densities (PD) selected from the Cheick Anta Diop University malaria slide bank in Dakar were used for this assessment. Six (6) were used to assess microscopists’ ability to determine PD and fourteen (14) slides were used for detection (positive vs negative) and identification of parasites. Four (4) LPM-HALD microscopists read and recorded their results on prepared sheets. Data analysis was done with Microsoft Excel 2010 software. Results A minimum threshold of 50% concordance was used for comparison. Of the twenty (20) slides read, 100% concordance was obtained on eight (8) detection (positive vs negative) slides. Four (4) out of the six (6) parasite density evaluation slides obtained a concordance of less than 50%. Thirteen (13) out of the fourteen (14) identification slides obtained a concordance greater than 50%. Only one (1) identification slide obtained zero agreement from the microscopists. For species identification a concordance greater than 80% was noted and the microscopists obtained scores between 0.20 and 0.4 on a scale of 0 to 1 for parasite density reading. The microscopists obtained 100% precision, sensitivity, specificity and both negative and positive predictive values. Conclusion This work demonstrated that the microscopic method of malaria diagnosis used in the LPM/HALD is in accordance with the requirements of WHO and ISO 15189. Further training of microscopists may be needed to maintain competency.

In Senegal, onions (Allium cepa L.) are an important and widely consumed crop. Several varieties and speculations are cultivated, with yields and bulbs qualities depending on technical itineraries and cultivation areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of onion bulbs produced at the Kalassane and Nguéthioro sites, using morphological and physicochemical parameters. To this end, an optimized treatment based on the “Société Nationale d’Aménagement et d’Exploitation des terres du Delta” (SAED) technical data sheet, requiring water and fertilizer inputs to be controlled (4455.4 m3 of water/ha, 9 kg/9 m2 of organic matter applied before sowing and 224 g/m2 of N- P-K applied in 4 inputs), another based on the farmers' method using excessive quantities of water and fertilizers (6526.1 m3 water/ha, 12 kg/9 m2 organic matter applied after sowing and 748 g/m2 N-P-K applied in 5 applications), and their combinations were applied on Kalassane. Next, the best method for ensuring quality bulbs at Kalassane was also tested at Nguéthioro. The results show that at Kalassane, onion bulbs from the optimized method are small (67.96 ± 14.40 g) and less waterlogged (Wc 85.44 % ± 0.71, aw 0.83 ± 0.01), with a high total polyphenol content (7.01 mg/100 g ± 0.01), in contrast to those from the farmers’ method, which are 100.80 g ± 14.22; 87.14 % ± 0.69; 0.91 ± 0.01 and 2.11 mg/100 g ± 0.01 respectively. In short, this study leads to the conclusion that optimized practice is the best treatment guaranteeing better quality. In addition, the optimized method showed a difference between the results for the two sites. In the future, repeating this experiment coupled with edaphic characteristics will enable us to determine the influence of soil on the physicochemical and nutritional quality of onions.

The aim of this article is to quantify the economic contribution of the fishing sector to Guinea’s economy. The employed method involves calculating the direct added value generated by the sector across various segments such as production, processing, fish mongering, and exportation. This data then serves to evaluate the sector’s impact on Guinea’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition to these financial indicators, the analysis also covers other key areas such as job creation, food security, and contributions to the national budget. The information sources include various databases and documents provided by organisations responsible for fisheries management in Guinea. In terms of results, the average annual apparent availability of fish is 258,260 tonnes for the period 2009-2018, with a per capita consumption of 21.5 kg per year. The fishing sector also employs a significant portion of the active population, namely 237,240 individuals, which accounts for 12.1 % of the total active population estimated at 1.9 million people. Financially, the added value created by the sector is estimated to average 3,193 billion GNF over the decade 2009-2018, broken down as follows: 2,210 billion GNF from production, 355.5 billion GNF from fish mongering, 450 billion GNF from artisanal processing, 93.5 billion GNF from exports, and 87.5 billion GNF in tax revenues. This added value represents an average of 6 % of Guinea’s GDP, a figure considerably higher than the 1,815 billion GNF estimated by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), which focuses solely on the primary sector. Furthermore, the trade balance of the sector is positive, with an average of 155 billion GNF. Despite this substantial contribution to the economy, the Guinean fishing sector is hindered by the lack of high-value-added products, insufficient investment in industrial training, and the absence of clear strategic directions.

The aim of this article is to analyse the contribution of the Senegalese and Turkish migrant fisheries for small coastal pelagics to the supply of the fishmeal and fish oil industries in Mauritania. The data used are those relating to Senegalese pirogues and Turkish coastal boats. Both types of vessel operate in the area reserved exclusively for coastal fishing. This work is based mainly on IMROP data. Other data were also used : those from the Ministry of Fisheries and those collected during field surveys carried out between 2019 and 2022 along the coastline. The results show that the migratory pelagic fishery has a significant impact on the development of the processing industry and the exploitation of fishery products in Mauritania. Migrant catches will amount to around 540,000 tonnes by 2020, and will also help to meet Mauritanians’ food requirements for fish by supplying local and inter-city fish markets through the SNDP. However, the migratory fishery for small coastal pelagics has a limited impact on Mauritania’s socio-economic development. The foreign currency earnings generated by the fishmeal and fish oil industry remain abroad and do not benefit the country. The industry’s impact on promoting employment remains very weak, even marginal, with a large foreign workforce. The situation of pelagic fisheries in Mauritania has also raised serious sustainability issues in recent years. Rigorous co-management measures should be taken at national and regional level to ensure the sustainable management of stocks, which are already showing signs of depletion.

This study analyses certain socio-economic aspects of continental fishing in Mauritania. It shows that more than 367 pirogues are used for fishing and that more than 3117 people are employed. Of these, 2816 are fishermen, 144 are fishmongers and 157 are processors. Inland fishing, once considered a subsistence activity, with production intended for self-consumption, is increasingly moving towards commercial fishing. The value of landings is estimated at €19.2 million for landings, €729,564 for processing and €4.45 million for fish trade. The study shows that although inland fishing is carried out alongside and in addition to other activities (livestock farming, agriculture, trade), it is a highly profitable activity for fishermen. This profitability is explained by the low level of investment and the non-payment of taxes and royalties. However, fishermen face a number of constraints, including a lack of fishing equipment and funding.

The objective of this article is to present the contribution of migrant fishers to the supply of fishmeal factories in Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania. The method consisted first of identifying migrant fishers and then quantifying the volumes of small pelagic fish they catch in the three countries studied. Then, an interview guide was submitted to more than 250 actors (migrant fishers and fishmongers) met in Banjul and Serrekunda in the Gambia, in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou in Mauritania, and in the fishing, centers located on the small Senegalese coast. These individual and collective interviews made it possible to estimate and determine the share of migrant fishers’ catches allocated to the fishmeal industry. Overall, the four groups of migrant fishers (3 Senegalese and 1 Guinean) identified in Mauritania and The Gambia catch on average more than 305,000 tonnes of pelagic fish per year over the period 2015 - 2018. Analysis of the marketing of their catches shows that almost 63% of the 305,000 tonnes, i.e. 192,000 tonnes of pelagic fish, are destined to supply the fishmeal factories of the three countries studied, while only 113,000 tonnes are distributed on the national consumer markets (fresh and artisanal processed). Of the 192,000 tonnes destined for fishmeal factories, two-thirds are sent to Mauritanian factories, with Senegal and The Gambia sharing the remaining third. Thus, important collaborations have been established in recent years between migrant fishers and the fishmeal industries. Indeed, the fishmeal industries improve the operating accounts of migrant fishers by ensuring the sale of their catches at more remunerative prices than on the local market at the micro level. However, when analyzed on a large scale, fishmeal industries exert a real pressure on the nutritional security of West African countries, as pelagic fish are the main source of animal protein in Senegal and The Gambia and have been over exploited in recent years. In addition, they prevent access to artisanal processing of their raw material. All these elements raise the question of the urgency of regulating migrant fishers catches on a regional scale and drastically reducing the share allocated to fishmeal processing in favor of local consumption.

The objective of this article is to present the tensions of the artisanal fish processing market in the face of increasingly difficult access to raw material in Senegal: pelagic fish. The method consisted of compiling and analyzing statistical data on the supply of raw material to women processors, and collecting qualitative information from fisheries stakeholders on the situation of the sector. Overall, the statistical data show that the supply of raw material to the artisanal processing segment has fallen by less than 20% over the last ten years. Thus, it went from 65,000 tonnes in 2009 to less than 41,000 tonnes in 2018. A decline linked to the context of overexploitation of pelagic fish and the emergence of new uses. The information collected in the field shows that women processors are also confronted with the increase in the price of intermediate consumption, especially fuel, with the restrictions on wood cutting on the Senegalese coast. Women processors are also very exposed to the precariousness and insalubrity of artisanal processing areas. All these elements seriously compromise the sustainability and the economy of the artisanal processing of pelagic fish. In the current context of promoting women's employment and their economic empowerment, the artisanal processing segment must be supported by strong public policies for the sustainability of the activity.