In his remarks at the workshop, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Abdoulie Jarra, said the fisheries and aquaculture sector is a key priority area in the country’s development agenda.
However, he added, in the recent past, there had been formidable challenges confronting the sector.
Therefore, one of the main reasons for the validation workshop was to diagnose the problems and come up with policy recommendations and strategies to address these challenges.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Strategy Plan 2016-2020, once validated together with the ongoing sector reforms and amendment of the Fisheries Act and Fisheries Regulation, would further strengthen the sustainable use and management of marine resources.
This is in line with its long-term development blueprint and, indeed, with President Yahya Jammeh’s clarion call for food self-sufficiency and Vision 2016, he added.
The fisheries and aquaculture strategic action plan 2016-2020, and policy framework being validated, would set out the Ministry of Fisheries’ vision for the future and aquaculture sector, and lay out the Gambia government’s strategic policy priorities for developing the sector.
