By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Nfamara Drammeh, a renowned Gambian Environmentalist has urged the government of The Gambia to seek international support in dealing with the Mandinari Oil Spillage.
He stressed that environmental matters must not be handled lightly as oil spills can cause long-term effects on marine species and their habitats.
Dampha was exclusively contacted by The Voice Newspaper for getting expert views on how to address the Mandinari Oil spillage that occurred on the 28th of May, 2022, leading to interruptions in the operations of many fishermen and oyster farmers living along the creeks of the River Gambia.
“Certainly the Gambia doesn’t have the capacity to clean up oil or deal with oil spillage. The recent press release by NEA asking for help has revealed that our preparedness level is low,” environmental expert Nfamara Dampha pointed out.
He added: “Oil spillage can cause long-term negative effects on marine species and their habitats— especially nesting or breeding grounds for species of marine turtles that lay their eggs on the shore.”
He noted that the turtle eggs contaminated by oil can fail to develop properly and the newly hatched turtles moving from the shore to the ocean can get stuck in an oily environment,
He highlighted that oil spills can cause deadly tolls on fish, shellfish (oyster and shrimps), and other marine life especially if many fish eggs or larvae are exposed to oil.
“Water birds can be affected by even a small amount of oil spills if their feathers get wet by oil and this will not only make it impossible for them to fly but also destroy their natural waterproofing and insulation— leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia or overheating,” Dampha explained.
“By now the Health Ministry, Fisheries Ministry, and Department of Water Resources should be busy at the site— collecting water samples and advising the affected communities on potential health hazards associated with contaminated water-related incidents of this nature as well as consuming fish/oyster from those areas whilst NEA and the team are figuring out what to do next,” Nfamara Dampha submitted.
