Fish is a major source of protein for the Senegalese population. Artisanal, or traditional, fishing produces more than 300,000 tonnes of fish a year. Fishing by traditional methods remains a vital occupation, a key part of the country's economy - and just as important, a way of life, but the industry is under threat by mega factory trawler fleets of Europe and Asia plundering the fishing grounds. The direct consequence of this congestion of fleets, local and foreign, in West African waters is overfishing – one of the biggest threats to marine life.