CliDef Celebrates Victory for Fishing Communities in Senegal and Mauritania, Major Offshore LNG Project Investigated
Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef) is celebrating a procedural victory for small-scale fisherpeople against one of the deepest offshore gas projects in Africa. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has formally accepted a complaint by fishing communities in Senegal and Mauritania about reprisals by British multinational oil and gas corporation British Petroleum (BP).
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) is a major offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in West Africa, on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal. Operations began in January 2025 and GTA is expected to produce around 2.3 million tons of LNG per year. CliDef has provided ongoing legal support to Lumiere Synergie pour le Developpement (LSD) and local fishing communities who were receiving reprisals for their activism.
Beginning in August 2024, LSD and the fisherpeople independently submitted their concerns about an offshore LNG project to the UK National Contact Point (NCP) of the OECD. The complaint documented the project's insufficient and non-inclusive consultation process, and included its anticipated environmental, social, and economic repercussions for local communities.
On February 6, 2026, the UK NCP deemed the complaint warranted further investigation, focusing on whether BP and its co-investors conducted effective due diligence and stakeholder engagement regarding the project's impact on local livelihoods.
Specifically, the groups allege five major issues in the OECD complaint:
The destruction of livelihoods and restrictions on access, notably through the construction of an offshore platform and an exclusion zone that fishermen assert prevents access to the Jatara reef, a vital and historically significant fishing area;
Significant environmental harm and safety hazards, including risks to marine ecosystems and the potential for gas leaks;
The inadequacy of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, which they characterized as "superficial and incomplete," lacking proper analysis of marine and coastal impacts and omitting necessary mitigation measures;
A failure to secure the free, prior, and informed consent of local fishing communities before disrupting their traditional fishing grounds; and
Ongoing, substantial economic losses and a sharp decline in fish catches experienced by fishing-dependent communities.
The remedies sought include financial reparations, dialogue and engagement on project impacts, implementation of artificial reefs, and adherence to OECD human rights guidelines to ensure free, prior, and informed consent for future activities.
"We have been waiting for this decision for 18 months, and we are confident that BP will come to the table by providing compensation to my community, especially the traditional fishermen,” said El Hadji Dousse Fall, President of the Artisanal Fishers’ Association of the Langue de Barbarie in Saint Louis, Senegal.
Nearly 90% of the city’s population relies on fishing, and the majority are small-scale. Nationwide, more than 53,000 people in Senegal are directly employed in the fishing industry, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN. Fishing accounts for more than 3% of Senegal’s GDP.
“This outcome sends a strong message: energy projects can no longer be imposed on communities without their free, prior, and informed consent,” said Aly Marie Sagne, Executive Director of Lumiere Synergie pour le Developpement. “It confirms that multinational companies must be held accountable when they fail to comply with international norms, when their activities damage local ecosystems, undermine livelihoods, and put local communities at risk.”
“I am thrilled that Global Climate Legal Defense was able to help build a legal firewall to protect local fishing communities who rely on the health and safety of the ocean for their livelihoods,” said Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell Sr, Founding President of Global Climate Legal Defense. “We go wherever we are needed to give climate defenders the legal support they need.”
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About Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef)
Global Climate Legal Defense uses the law to keep climate defenders free to speak and act. We offer legal advice and strategy, coordination, and funds for legal defense. We build and strengthen a network of diverse lawyers and legal organizations to serve the climate movement. Learn more: www.climatelegaldefense.org
About Lumiere Synergie pour le Developpement (LSD)
LSD is a Senegalese NGO working to hold international investors to account. The organisation promotes human rights across extractive industries in Senegal, supporting communities affected by development projects. Learn more: https://lsdsenegal.org/