Every day, Gora Fall, a fisherman in Senegal's northern city of Saint-Louis, heads to sea with a mix of emotions: hope and frustration.
He hopes he will get a better catch than the previous day, yet he is frustrated by the thought that whatever he finds might not meet his needs.
Before, we worked to live, but now we just work to survive, says the 25-year-old.
Like him, many other small-scale, traditional fishermen in Saint-Louis - a major fishing hub - are facing hard times.
The BBC has spoken to several fishermen and people linked to the fishing trade who all point to one cause - a liquefied natural gas platform that sits on the maritime border between Senegal and Mauritania, off the coast of Saint-Louis.
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project is operated by the British multinational oil and gas giant BP as part of a joint venture with Kosmos Energy, as well as Petrosen and SMH, the national oil companies of Senegal and Mauritania respectively.
BP, which has a 56% working interest in the project, began its operation in Senegal in 2017 after the discovery of natural gas two years earlier.
Described as one of the deepest and most complex gas development schemes in Africa, the first phase of the multi-billion dollar offshore project is expected to produce roughly 2.3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year for over 20 years.
However, residents of Saint-Louis say this also comes with restrictions on fishing which 90% of the city's population of over 250,000 rely on for a livelihood.
On a Tuesday morning, with weather conditions declared favourable, Mr. Fall readies his wooden canoe painted with patterns of red, blue, yellow and other colours.
With his hook and bait, he sets off for the day's fishing trip.
After motoring 10km (6.2 miles) offshore, the young fisherman approaches the giant gas facility. But he says he cannot get any closer due to a 500m exclusion zone which restricts fishing.
The authorities forbid us to fish in that area of the platform, under penalty of confiscation or even destruction of our fishing equipment if we access it, Mr. Fall tells the BBC.
Fishermen say the platform is built around a natural reef rich with fish – the restrictions mean their catches are smaller and they barely earn a living. This has compounded the difficulties they already faced with competition for fish from large international trawlers.
We are very frustrated, says Mr Fall.
Now we can stay until 4pm twiddling our thumbs, without fish.
BP says concerns about Senegalese fishing stocks pre-date the gas project, telling the BBC in a statement: Safety zones around infrastructure are standard practice to protect people and assets.
During a forum held in Saint-Louis, Senegal's Energy Minister expressed the need for oil and gas exploitation to co-exist with fishing, which he described as essential to the local community.
Fishing accounts for nearly 60,000 direct jobs and more than half-a-million indirect jobs in Senegal according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
Processing is traditionally predominantly done by women. But with the reduction in the number of fish, many are losing their jobs.
The fishermen say their catch has gone down significantly since the gas project began and many are considering abandoning their centuries-old practice.
Members of a local association representing artisanal fishermen in Saint-Louis say BP has not fulfilled its promise to create artificial reefs where they could catch more fish.
As the fishermen contend with their diminishing livelihood, the gas project is touted by the Senegalese government as a pathway to economic prosperity.
However, local fishermen like Mr. Fall lament: We only have the sea to live on.
