Dredging and pollution threaten fishing in the Niger River

Dredging and pollution threaten fishing in the Niger River

BAMAKO — Bourama Traoré and his brother, now aged 20 and 29, grew up along the banks of the Niger River. Their daily routine has always been simple: cast their nets and provide for their family. But now, the wait has grown long and the catch scarce. Six casts yields almost nothing; at best, a handful of small fish. Sometimes the nets come up empty — or filled with plastic waste. According to fishers in Bamako, the Malian capital, this situation …