An Environmentalist Speaks Out

Mr. Kawsu Jammeh, the Environmental Education Officer at the Department of Parks and Wild Life Management has said that environmental conservation is a collective responsibility for all and sundry.

According to him, there is a need to re-enforce the anti-littering bills to the later.

Mr. Jammeh made these remarks in an exclusive interview with this reporter recently at his office in Abuko. 

According to him, the well-being of the citizens directly depends on the natural resources, noting that the maintenance and conservation of the natural resources is the responsibility of all and sundry.

He said "the eutrophication of sludge oil and other industrial waste into the wetland is detrimental to the well-being of the aquatic species and even lead to invasion of acid sulfate soil".

When consume, he noted, it can cause an outbreak of disease.

He emphasised the need for people to stop such illegal activities if the country is to ensure that there is availability of precious resources in the near future for generations yet unborn.

According to the environmentalists, the continuous oil spillage into the country's national parks, such as Tambi Wetland can contaminate aquatic species (e.g. fish) through bio- acclimation into their tissues which can be poisonous when consume.

He further disclosed that Tambi Wetland is a national park, demarcated by physical planning as a result of cutting of mangrove trees or structures in the wetland areas.

He noted that the park is most suitable place for fish spawning nursery on the shore line.

For him, climate change is a potential threat to the continuous dwindling of the forest resources, adding that the use of chain saws and other forms of exploitation, such as bush fires and bad farming practice also compound this situation.

He revealed that the country's population is increasing on a daily basis and that the natural resources are dwindling. He said if this trend continues in the near future there would be loss of most of the natural resources.

'The dumping activities that is happening within the perimeter of the Tambi Wetland complex areas, such as Ebo Town, Tallinding, Faji Kunda and the spillage of sludge oil into the sea can generate vectors which can result to an out break of disease', he added. The Environmental Education Officer further elucidated that the mangrove ecosystem prevents the Greater Banjul from inundated and flooding. As he put it, it provides control system for rain off or flooded water and violence winds from devastating Greater Banjul. He revealed that the fisheries stock in the wetland area is also dwindling, due to the use of wrong fishing practice in the mangrove hot spot area where fish spawn.

He finally urged all stakeholders and people living around the Tambi Wetland area not to litter in the surrounding, and to comply with the rules governing the anti-littering laws.