Fisherman's friend: Pre-election thumbs-up for Senegal's president

Senegalese fisherman Diabel Mbeguere credits the government's modernisation programme with helping to keep him in work - so he'll be voting for incumbent Macky Sall in Sunday's presidential election.

Mbeguere, 48, says the fish have got smaller and are swimming a lot futher out in the Atlantic Ocean than they were 10 years ago. He blames climate change, while others also cite increased competition for limited resources

But thanks to Sall's subsidy programme for an industry that accounts for around 20 percent of Senegal's labour force, Mbeguere's pirogue now has an engine that allows him to go further afield for his daily catch.

"For those of us who live off fishing, we are satisfied," he said.

Some of his fellow fishermen were still waiting to get their boats upgraded, however. "So we hope Macky Sall will get a second mandate so all the fishermen get what they need," he said.