Management and control of pelagic fish

Promoting regional cooperation for small pelagic fish management would lead to sustainable and healthier usage of these common resources with numerous benefits for the people and economies of many states.

Conscious of the fact that the small pelagic fish do principally contribute to a great economic and social gain to many countries, including The Gambia, the Fisheries Department in collaboration with the Sub-regional Fisheries Cooperation (SRFC), an intergovernmental body of cooperation in fisheries, last week held two day training for fishermen and retailers from the various fishing centres of the country on policy promotion and management plans for the sustainable use of small pelagic in North-West Africa.

This training was indeed very significant in The Gambia’s fisheries sector, as it will create wider awareness amongst people dealing in fish. It will also inculcate in them, the mentality of making the sector sustainable and workable towards what is termed as food self-sufficiency. Fishermen must spear out the pelagic fish in order for them to grow and bear more offspring.

Majority of the fishermen present at the training had alleged that the foreign fishermen who used to come for fishing in the Gambian waters had been negatively exploiting the country’s fisheries resources. After their catches, they said, the amount of fish that find their way into the dustbin is a call for action, and these, they added, are mainly the small pelagic ones.

However, it is expected that the training, if put into practice by participants and enforced by the Fisheries Department, would cut down the rate of over exploitation of the country’s fisheries resources hence awareness has been created on the importance of the small pelagic. But, the final burden solely depends on the Fisheries Department to ensure that decisions taken towards the control and adequate management of the small pelagic fish are not compromised.