This pointed to a broader issue – Senegal had few options for practical aquaculture training. Back in Senegal, Sène founded the Fisheries and Aquaculture Research and Training Institute in Thiès (IRFPA) in 2021 – the country’s first private aquaculture training centre. Alongside this, he launched the Integrated Aquaculture Farm of Thiès, a 1,500 m² facility equipped with a modern, French-inspired hatchery. Its most sought-after outputs are high-quality fish fry and its unique strain of chickens. The fish are transformed into a variety of products, including fillets, dried fermented fish, smoked fish, frozen fish balls and even “fish sausages”.