The fishermen at Bakau fishing center have urged the government to intervene by giving them the necessary support for them to continue providing enough fish for the local markets. 

Speaking to this medium, Assan Gaye a Gambian fisherman residing in Bakau says the scarcity of fish is Caesar by the Chinese vessels fishing in the river Gambia . He also said other nationalities are the only ones involved in fishing. He noted that Gambians are committed in fishing but they are not capacities like their Senegalese counterparts in Senegal.

“Since I left school I started going with my father for fishing and I have no other job apart from fishing,” he said. “In those days we had enough fish in our river but since the Chinese started fishing in our water we began to experience scarcity of fish. There were not many fishermen at that time but there were enough fish in the market.  Then you can have big fish but now you cannot. The Chinese vessels that are fishing in our river are really affecting us,” he explained.

Assan called on the government to act and help the youth who are willing to take part in the fishing industry by giving them the necessary support.

“We want the government to help us. I do hear people saying the youth are not hard working but I doubt it. We don’t have the support that the Senegalese fishermen are given by their government. We have fishermen but we lack the support,” he said. 

Speaking further was Sheikh Tijan Joof, a fish seller who buys fish from the fishermen at the river and sells it at the market. He said the scarcity of fish has contributed to the high cost of fish price in the local market. This he said has affected their daily income. 

“The scarcity of fish has caused the increase of its price in the market now. The people who need fish are more than the amount that is available. Now our river is experiencing overfishing. Before you could buy a full box of fish at D4,500 and now they are selling it at D20,000 which is very expensive,” Sheikh Tijan Joof said.

Demba Faal is another fish seller who also told this medium that the causes of fish scarcity in the market is beyond their control . He noted that the government should be the citizens. Adding that the demand for fish is high while the supply is low. He said this is affecting the public.

“We started engaging in the fishing business in the 1980s. You can buy fish for as low as ten dalasi (D10), but now it is very expensive,” he said. “This is part of life and that has passed but development has come. Some of our youth are really determined while others are not. I believe this is part of the home training they are given. I don’t think fish will be that cheap but we hope and pray for Allah to continue blessing our river with fish.” However, fish is an important nutrient which provides the body with minerals such as iron, potassium, zinc and others.

 

By Dawda Baldeh