By Yusupha Jobe
The Ministry of fisheries water resources and national assembly matters has vowed to combat illegal fishing and other illegal activities this year.
Speaking at a presentation of office equipment by Chinese Embassy in Banjul on Monday, fisheries minister, James F. Gomez vowed that: “illegal and unreported fishing activities within the Gambian waters has created lot of challenges to the fisheries sector in the country including huge financial lost over the past years.”
“For the first time the ministry of fisheries will have a fully furnished and a functioning monitoring center that will support in the fight against the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activities in the Gambian waters,” he added.
He revealed a construction of fish preservation facilities and improved fish smoking centers and the development and expansion of aquaculture that seeks to assist in curbing post-harvest loss of artisanal fishing industries.
He said this will also help in improving the standard of local fishermen whom he said depend entirely on their daily catch as a source of living.
He said: “he construction of fish preservation facilities in the country before the end of the year and in particular the FAO/Thiarorye improved fish smoking centers which will also include the development and expansion aquaculture facilities will help solve the post-harvest loss of the artisanal fishing of the local fishermen.”
The donation of office equipment worth over 2 million dalasis comes after last month fire incident that ravaged the entire office complex of the ministry.
