The Department of Fisheries recently ended a two-day training workshop on the second
The training was funded by FAO through Standard and Trade Development Facility (STDF 234) Regional capacity-building project, which supports five West African countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nfamara Dampha, the Director of Fisheries challenged participants to conform with the requirements of ensuring good quality and safe fish products.
He explained that there was general low level of technical knowledge and skills.
According to him, it is against this backdrop that the fisheries Department and FAO are collaborating to organise the training workshop. He called on the participants to make good use of the training and share the knowledge gained with their operators.
Mr. Momodou Njie, Principal Fisheries Officer and National Trainer said that the government of The Gambia had requested urgent assistance to overcome problems that could constrain market access to the EU. He however added that priority requirements were identified as the lack of human capacity and infrastructure in food control.
Mr. Njie further informed participants that the primary objective of the workshop was to improve capacity of key players in dealing with sanitary requirements on fish and fishery products. He said that this second workshop was also aimed at creating awareness and basic technical know-how of actors on fish handling and preservation, as well as on the need and purpose of hygienic control of the quality and safety of fishery products as food.
The workshop introduced participants to the concepts of trade and trading standards, the rights and responsibilities of trading partners in the context of trade agreements and in the production and placing of fisheries products on the market. It highlighted the existence of laws, technical regulations for the control of fish and fisheries products, including responsibilities of producers and officials of food control services.
