By: Nyima Sillah
Omar Gaye, Public Relations Officer of the Artisanal Fisheries Association of The Gambia has revealed that over fifteen fishermen in the Sanyang fish landing site have migrated to Cassamance due to the introduction of Semi-Industrial Fishing Vessels.
In an exclusive with this medium, Mr. Gaye said semi-industrial fishing is of no use to them and should not be in the fishing act. Whilst noting that it was put in the 2019 amendment regulations act and since its introduction, it has brought numerous difficulties in the fishing industries.
“If you go to the Sanyang fish landing site fishermen are migrating, almost 16 boats moved to Cassamace which is causing a lot of problems. Fishing materials are very expensive so no one can buy them and every day, they cut them. At the end of the day, the only thing you can do is to migrate which is also contributing to the inadequate fish” in supply.
Thus, he said the Association is doing its best to extend the message to the Ministry to see how best the issue could be solved.
He explained that the main issue that they are facing in the fishing sector is the lack of fish caused by artisanal fishing. However he said they are artisanal but there is industrial fishing and artisanal fishing, and when that happened, they involve semi-industrial fishing causing difficulties in the fish landing sites.
According to him, the fishing troller they gave them is below nine nautical miles but they don’t respect that while they went down up to five or six and occupied sites where the artisanal should do their fishing.
He went on that the fish artisanal used to catch at the fish landed sites is occupied. This he said made the fishermen less courageous to position their fishing nets because they will get cut.