FAO gives over D4.7m worth of fishing gears to communities, Fisheries Department

Mrs Mariatou Njie,AFAOR and Head of Progs presenting items to  Minister Pa Ousman Jarju(Photo credit: ©FAO/Amadou Bah) Mrs Mariatou Njie,AFAOR and Head of Progs presenting items to  Minister Pa Ousman Jarju(Photo credit: ©FAO/Amadou Bah) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 28 December handed over fishing gears worth over GMD4.7m to 12 communities and the Fisheries Department at a brief ceremony held in Banjul. The Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources Pa Ousman Jarju who presided over the event received the donation on behalf of the target beneficiaries. The assistance comprises ten fishing boats (7 fibre and 3 wooden), ten 15 horse power (15HP) out board engines, fishing nets with accessories and life jackets for 10 communities and Fish catch assessment materials for the fisheries department procured by a two-year FAO Funded Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP).The ten beneficiary communities are Banjul, Old jeshwang, Tanji, Barra, Albreda, Bintang, Tendaba, Kanikunda, Wassu and Bwiam.  The communities of Bansang and Kemoto also received three fishing boats, three 15HP outboard engines, life jackets and fishing nets with accessories funded by FAO Tele-food projects.

Brikama fish vendors speak to Mansa Banko blog

On Wednesday 16^th March 2016, Mansa Banko blog visited the Brikama Market in the West Coast Region (WCR) to chat with the fish vendors on pertinent issues concerning their welfare vis-à-vis the market.

Brikama is also considered as one of the biggest market in the Gambia that offers and supply affordable commodities to the masses. The fish market is no exception.

“I have been a fish vendor for the past 11^th years. It is through the fishing industry that I become a successful man and I am also the bread winner of my family,” says Mr. Modou Lamin Sabally, a fish vendor at the Brikama market. 

 

In Gunjur Fishing Site: Fish industry, a lucrative business

A young fisherman in Gunjur fishing centre has told Mansa Banko blog that fishing is a profitable business that takes care of his family needs and responsibilities. 
 

Mr. Buba Badjie said: “I engaged in fishing some years back. I go to sea both day and night in order to settle my family needs but so far so good, I can brag to say that I feed my family and pay my children’s school fees thanks to the fishing industry.

“I believed not everybody can get a white collar job. There are many opportunities awaiting people especially the youth to grab in the fishing sector.”

‘Fish is not expensive in Tanji’---Vendor

Mansa Banko blog has visited one of the busiest and biggest fishing sites in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia to share the stories of the fish vendors and sailors after attending the African Journalists for Sustainable Fisheries Workshop in Elmina, Ghana.

The high profile workshop gathered more than 140 journalists drawn from 40 African countries- February 29^th to March 4^th, 2016.

The World Bank, African Union- Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in collaboration with the USAID funded the workshop. 

The workshop culminated with the opening of an Award Competition for African journalists from the 4^th to 17^th March, 2016 to submit fisheries-related stories.

Tanji Village, often called the Tanji Fishing Village, is close to the Atlantic Ocean beach, in the northern section of the Kombo South District, West Coast Region of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia, in West Africa.