By Maimuna Jarjou & Modou Kanteh
The Ministry of Fisheries Water Resources and National Assembly Matters (MoFWR-NAMs) and stakeholders recently converged to review the Fisheries Act 2007 and Fisheries Regulation 2008 at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul.
The review was meant to help the ministry respond to the growing challenges facing the sector and improve on its operations.
Omar SM Gibba, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries in his statement said the review and amendment of the existing act of 2007 and fisheries regulations 2008 is to align them with the provisions of the new policy framework and strategy plan in order to avoid any mismatch between the new policy and supporting legal instruments.
Mrs Fanta Bojang Samateh, Deputy Permanent Secretary Technical, said the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources has experienced a national policy frame work gap of nearly six years in the critical livelihood and socio-economical area of the country. The consequence of this, she argued, was grave as a vacuum created without a new policy guideline to manage and regulate the sector.
According to DPS Samateh, the review of the Act and Regulation could not have come at a better time than now.
“I am sure within the next two days all participants will have the opportunity and support from the technical consultant to have a deep understanding of the various components of the act and the regulations,” DPS Manneh said.
The Director of Fisheries, Mrs. Anna Mbenga Cham, said The Gambia has high quality of abundant and diverse fish species in the marine and inland waters which offers great potential to make substantial contribution to its socio-economic development.
“Research shows that over 3000,00 people are directly or indirectly employed in the fisheries sector,” she noted.
According to Mrs. Mbenga, The Gambia fisheries Act and Regulations seek to provide sustainability of the mandates of the sector through the guiding principles and mechanisms for management conservation utilisation and development of fisheries and aquaculture of the Gambia as stipulated in the Act 2007. She referenced the provisions of the Act as underscoring the need to safeguard the economic, social and environmental growth of the fisheries sector and to increase benefits for the present and future generations.
