By Landing Colley
Workers at Brufut fishing centre are outrage over presence of Chinese fishing vessels as they called on government to help remove the vessels in the Gambian waters.
Speaking to Kaddijatou Jallow, head of women group and a catfish trader told the voice that they are facing difficulties with shortage of fish for the past year adding that the reason is that chines are in the sea with their big vessel disturbing their fish men in the sea.
“There is a special place for the chines vessel and special place for boats but at night the chines come close where the boats use to catch fish and spoil all their net they lay to catch the fish, “she said.
“Before I normally buy fish up to 15,000 dalasi but buy less than that and these is where we feed our families. The boat’s owner are finding it very difficult to fish in the sea as fishing materials are expensive and there is enough fish in the sea,” she added.
She urged government to help remove the Chinese vessels from the sea, adding it is affecting their business and they see no benefit but making them to suffer.
Yusupha Faye, also said that the Chinese fishing vessels are using distorting fishing net, adding “We use to pay for all the allowance for about 1000 dalasi adding that is now that it is reduce to 350 dalasi for those boats which are coming from Senegal to sell their fish here and before they don’t use to pay.”
He also called on government to help them solve the situation adding that this is where they feed their family and all the fish catches at the sea are all sell in the Gambia.
Talla Faal also a trader said now the place where they use to catch fish is not far due to the chines taking occupying our place. In the sea sometime it used to be windy as we getting into cold session which can lead to the shortage of fish.