This exercise is to ensure that the authorities have accurate data of all the canoes operating in Gambian waters, which is also in line with the 2012 Fisheries Act.
It is against this background that the Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters conveyed a stakeholders meeting on Wednesday 28 August 2024 at the ministry’s conference hall in Banjul. The meeting was aimed at giving stakeholders firsthand information on the planned canoes registration exercise.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Buba Sanyang, highlighted the significance of the planned exercise. “Your ideas are important in this exercise. But we want to have one format that will be used across all landing sites,” he said. He pointed out that the Ministry is aware of some challenges existing, citing different actors across the landing sites. That, he said is due to the natural resources being managed in those landing sites.
Permanent Secretary Sanyang used the meeting to remind Center Management Committees at various landing sites that they do not have the powers to allocate lands to anyone around the fisheries landing sites. He said the committees can only make recommendation to the Ministry of Fisheries.
PS Sanyang also called on the Fisheries officers posted in various landing sites to collaborate with various actors within the landing sites. “Your job is observatory that involves the type of net being used at your landing sites,” Sanyang reminded.
A team from the Department of Fisheries accompanied by officials from Gambia Maritime Administration is expected to start a nationwide sensitisation on the registration of canoes.
This is the first time the ministry is embarking on registering canoes in the country.
