By Ghana News

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Fishermen say BP plans to build the artificial reef just 4km from the coastline, describing the position as unfavourable to attract fish.

However, BP says a technical evaluation concluded that a “cluster” of “reef pyramids” in that location allows more effective management and protection of that reef.

The Senegalese government said there had been a gas leak in February 2025 – described by BP as “gas bubbles” – in one of the wells run by the oil-and-gas giant.

The incident raised concerns about the safety of marine life around the facility.

Mamadou Ba, a Dakar-based ocean campaigner with Greenpeace Africa, says gas leaks could have “immeasurable effects” on the environment.

“BP refuses to disclose the actual amount of the gas leak,” Mr Ba says.

He says experts found that such a gas leak had the potential to destroy marine fauna and flora, reefs, algae and resources that allow fish to feed.

However, repeating the word used in the assessment of the loss of fishing grounds, BP told the BBC that the environmental impact was assessed as “negligible”.

“We acted swiftly, capped the well, and engaged transparently with regulators,” the multinational says.

In a joint statement on 14 March, Senegal’s environment and energy ministries said tests and observations carried out revealed there were no further leaks after BP repaired the well.

“Satellite images, taken after the intervention, did not reveal the presence of bubbles or condensate on the surface of the water,” the statement says, while expressing the commitment of both Senegalese and Mauritanian authorities to ensure continuous improvement in the management of the gas project’s activities “in order to minimise the occurrence of such incidents in the future”.

But the leak has added to local concerns about the impact of the gas site.

Representatives of the artisanal fishermen in Saint-Louis say the promise of economic prosperity through the project comes at a great cost.

They say it deprives them of free access to their much-cherished sea, leaving them with an uncertain future.

They also accuse the government of siding with BP to their detriment.

“We only have the sea to live on,” says Mr Fall.

The Senegalese government did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

Additional reporting by Michel Mvondo