The community of Sanyang Village has expressed its anger at the Barrow-led administration over the re-operational approval to the Nassim Fishmeal Company by the government.
It followed on last Friday meeting with stakeholders in the community of Sanyang and officials from National Environment Agency.
The Fishmeal Factory owned by a Mauritanian Business Tycoon was officially shut down on the 30th of June, 2018; by the government after it has been in active operation for six months as it was accused of discriminating and disposing toxic chemical wastes on their agricultural lands, and industrial smokes polluting the air and posing danger to their health.
Lamin Jawla, the proprietor of Rainbow Beach Bar and Restaurant told The Voice in an exclusive interview that the Fishmeal Company is causing health hazard to the community and making their businesses go futile as it affects tourists
“It will be very confusing from the side of the Government trying to tell us that the Fishmeal Factory has now met all it environmental requirements as a company including the treatment plant in order to start operation. I can tell you just few days back after testing their machines, I can affirm that the same odor has equally filled the place, making all the tourist to abandon their meal after ordering for it” he said.
Famara Jadama, the president of Sanyang Fisheries Committee said that the decision by the Government to approve the re-opening of the Nassim Fishmeal Factory and as well as the possibility to lay down the waste pipe into the sea has to be taken into consideration carefully.
He said that over 10 years experience in the fishing sector, so many irregularities and difficulties have been faced by local fishermen during their fishing operations if the said waste pipe is laid directly into the ocean by making the entire area a non-fishing zone for the fishermen.
He said that it is not only the environmental disorder that has been accused on the factory for the illegal disposal of liquid wastes but adding that the amount of fish stock and the kind of fishing nets that would be used by the company to supply the number of needed fishes for the factory will cause fish shortages in the local markets.
“We have to be very careful of the new fishing industrialization which is currently going on in our waters because the kind of fishing techniques and the types of nets used by the company can even create a negative impact towards the fish supply in the local markets” he concluded.
Author: Yusupha Jobe
