It is also an important route for international commerce, making it critical to the development of countries in the region.
For a long time, however, countries along the coast of West Africa have been faced with serious challenges in safeguarding their vast marine population with surge illegal fishing activities in the area.
Illegal fishing in our waters remains a serious challenge in the protection of our vast marine resources. Illegal fishing trawlers and vessels enter our territorial waters and embark on illegal ventures, a move detrimental to the protection of our marine resources.
Fishermen in Barra and Banjul have once again sounded the alarm, indicating the growing nature of this illegal venture.
To this end, they called on the government of The Gambia to ban illegal fishing to ensure the River Gambia has enough mature fish for the population for economic benefit.
In the recent past, the growing trend of illegal fishing activities by foreign fishing trawlers and vessels on our waters have become an issue that requires urgent action.
It comes as Senegalese government recently introduced tough measures to curb illegal fishing.
What is even disheartening is that most of these foreign vessels that illegally penetrate our waters use small medium size fishing nets that wipe out huge numbers of juvenile fishes that are not fit for consumption. This bad fishing practice doesn't only pose a threat to our vast fish population, but also affects our quest to greater food security as a nation.
Certainly, the juvenile fishes they caught need to be allowed to reach their maturity. Catching them young is not good for our economy as it would significantly reduce our fish population, which significantly impacts the country's economy.
Some of the Fishemen revealed that in the past, one fishing boat could catch five or more baskets a day. But now with the surge in illegal fishing activities, it is hard to even fill a basket.
They acknowledged that the menace makes life unbearable for them as the fish they are supposed to catch are now running away from the Atlantic Ocean.
We therefore call on the government to act swiftly and safeguard our territorial resources.
More importantly, countries along the coast need to cooperate and share reports of suspicious illegal activities on our waters. They should also convene and coordinate joint meetings to tackle maritime security challenges.
Evidence, technology can play a key role in this. But it’s vital that countries enhance technological knowhow, and ensure that external partners and businesses use the available technological services. This will be a big step towards a secure and collaborative maritime environment.