Fisheries: Fishing and Gambia’s economy

Fishermen play an important part in the social and economic lives of large numbers of people around the world, many of whom are amongst the poorest and most marginalized people in our rural communities.

In many cases, fish harvesting, processing and trade are seen as the employment of last resort when other economic opportunities are not available.

There are no standing figures as a measure to determine the number of people engaged in fishing.

In The Gambia, however, the fisheries sector plays a relatively significant role in the national economy related to food security, employment, poverty reduction, and even foreign exchange earnings. However, these vital roles are often under-reported in the national statistics.

Fish is a very important food in the Gambian diet. It is expected to provide adequate amounts of the animal protein intake needed by the consumer. The fishing industry provides employment for many rural and urban dwellers.

However, a rather different scenario presented itself when the Daily Observer visited the Sanyang and Tanji fishing centres to gauge the opinions of the fishermen and retailers, as well as the authorities.

At Tanji, it was discovered that fishermen are not given due credit as expected from consumers or even the relevant authorities. Fishing is a noble and risky profession; some of the fishermen expressed dissatisfaction over the way they are operating. Tanji is the best landing site when compared to other fishing centres in the Gambia.

This is because of its proximity to the main road, one fisherman told the Daily Observer.

Some of them said that people ready to venture into fishing are not being given the necessary support – such as fishing boats. One of them narrated that foreign nationals own most of the fishing boats at Tanji. Some suggested that Gambian fishermen should be given loans, which will enable them to run their own businesses by purchasing their own boats.

This will encourage the youths who are ready to venture into fishing. Reports from the youths at Tanji indicate that a good number of the young people are turning their backs on fishing activities, as they are tired of working under foreign nationals.

At the Sanyang Fishing Centre, the bad road network is seriously hampering the amount of fish they would like to produce. “The condition of the road linking the Sanyang Fishing Centre to the main road is too bad,” one of the fishermen told the Daily Observer.

However, with the collaboration of the Department of Fisheries and the Tanji Community Fishing Centre, the issue of inadequate fishing skills and gear will soon be history.

Babucarr Sarr, general manager at the Tanji Community Fishing Centre, said his office and the Fisheries department are preparing to train the fishermen and fish retailers at the centre. This, he said, will enable them to effectively carry out their work. It will also create the opportunity for the fishermen and retailers to have access to fishing gear and even possibly loans to run their own businesses.