By Modou Kanteh & Maimuna Jarjou
The Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and stakeholders recently held a planning workshop to upgrade Gambia’s 10-year strategy on oyster value chain at kairaba Beach Hotel.
As the Ministry implements a 4 million Euros project for Oyster farmers in The Gambia, the workshop is centered on conducting value chain analyses and the development of value chain upgrading strategies from 2022-2025.
The strategy results from a collaborative effort between key stakeholders involved in The Gambia’s oyster sector, spearheaded by FISH4ACP, a global fish value chain development initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) implemented by FAO with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries Mr Omar SM Gibba said that the fisheries sector has enormous potentials and plays significant role in the socio-economic development of the country.
“The sector reduce poverty and rural-urban migration and enhanced revenue and foreign exchange earnings from fish trading and fisheries product,” Gibba noted .
According to permanent Secretary Gibba, his ministry has put in place the required tools to provide the appropriate fisheries and aquaculture development in the country.
He pointed out that all these initiatives are put in place to provide the enabling environment to properly guide and manage the fisheries, aquaculture and related aquatic resources related issues.
The FAO country representative Ms. Moshibudi Rampedi said the project focuses on the improvement of the productivity and competitiveness of fisheries and aquaculture value chains, as well as economic and environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
“The programme is aligned to the Government of The Gambia’s Strategic Priorities and the strategy can bring economic prosperity and social well-being to small-scale women producers, while safeguarding resources for future generations,” Ms. Rampedi said.
Madam Rampedi said FISH4ACP illustrates FAO’s support to The Gambia’s efforts to transform aquatic food system for employment, social development by improving working conditions, especially for women as well as environmental recovery and preservation of the natural capital.
She explained that FISH4ACP is a global initiative supporting fisheries and aquaculture value chain in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Adding that the workshop will avail experts and stakeholders the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues in the fisheries sector.
Finally she noted that the upgraded strategy will outline an ambitious agenda for sustainable growth of oyster production in The Gambia to cater market demand over the next ten years by strengthening The Gambia’s long-standing tradition in oyster production
The official endorsement of the strategy is expected later this year.
