By Binta Jaiteh
National Assembly Members have demanded that the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources produce the Senegalo-Gambia fishing agreement to House.
The lawmakers demand comes days after summoning James Furmos Gomez to answer some unanswered questions regarding Senegalo-Gambia fishing agreement.
Musa Amul Nyass, national assembly member for Foni Kansala, moved the motion for Minister of fisheries and water resources to present the Senegalo- Gambia fishing agreement report before plenary.
“As a matter of urgency the full report should be submitted to plenary for ratification,” he said.
Ya Kumba Jaiteh, nominated member, also said: “the minister informed us that, what they are doing is illegal is either we file a resolution of the minister in contempt because this is contempt of the assembly.”
“The agreement needs to be ratified before they come into existence. We are being nice and told him to stop implementing this agreement before it is legalized. This has been going on for so long in the country and it should be stopped,” she said.
In his response, James Furmos Gomez said: “this is not a new agreement. The agreement was signed during the first and second republic; nonetheless we can contact the ministry of justice to find out the details.”
According to him, establishment and strengthening of fishing organizations country wide, with the aim of forming regional apex bodies to participate in management and development fisheries including the fight against illegal unregulated fishing.
“To reduce illegal migration and create employment in the fishing sector of the government of Germany through ECOWAS is funding a pilot project imposed on harvest fisheries. It is implemented by GAM-WORKS, fishing department and other stakeholders’ involvement in construction in fishing facilities to selected communities,” he told MPs.
He said his ministry is working with FAO development of a private span fishery project for possible funding in a global environment facility.