Senegal’s Struggling Fishermen are not Particularly Cheered by Eid al-Adha.

In Senegal, the religious celebration is referred to as Tabaski locally. It’s a time when Muslims slaughter and consume sheep, which makes them highly sought-after in the days leading up to the celebration.

To commemorate the story found in the Quran about Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God, families save for months in advance to purchase a sheep to be slaughtered.

Living in the Thiaroye suburb of Dakar, Ibrahima Diouf is a fisherman who shares his community with other fishermen and their families. His father was a fisherman, and he was born into the trade, just like his neighbors. He claims that when his father killed three or four sheep for Tabaski, they would distribute the meat to the less fortunate.

Thriving communities, such as those in Thiaroye, supported President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his running mate, the now-prime minister Ousmane Sonko. Under former president Macky Sall, Sonko and Faye were imprisoned; their release, just weeks before the March election, sparked wild celebrations in the nation’s capital.

Running on a platform of change, the two pledged to assist Senegalese fishermen in competing with large trawlers while operating small wooden boats. Senegal’s waters were open to European vessels thanks to fishing agreements that former president Sall’s government had signed with the EU.