The event held at Rainbow Beach Resort, Sanyang Village, West Coast Region, seeks to strengthen the role of the media in promoting accountability, raising public awareness, and advancing sustainable fisheries governance in The Gambia.
The event, which brought together twenty (20) journalists and ten (10) digital influencers, further aims to enhance participant’s skills in reporting on fisheries- related issues, particularly IUU fishing.
At the event, Mustapha Manneh, facilitator of the training, shed light on the importance of the training, saying it would help in ensuring transparency in fishing and ocean reporting and to be able to know some of the root causes of problems faced during fishing.
The initiative, according to Mr. Manneh, would also enable media professionals to report more accurately especially on issues relating to fish scarcity, but also to improve their standards of the work.
He bemoaned some of the challenges faced by fishermen, which includes lack of motivation, inadequate facilities for Gambian fishermen.
“I know many would say they are not supported by rhetoric government, and their cries have not been heard by the government. Instead, the government is prioritizing industrial trawlers that are actually not Gambian or they are not giving food to Gambians.” he stated.
Mr. Manneh further lamented that fishermen are struggling to compete with industrial fishing trawlers that have a bigger capacity.
Therefore, he said, Gambian fishermen cannot compete with big trawlers as they lack the equipment to compete.
He, however, called on government to step up in helping local fishermen as well as to increase their surveillance along the coastline.
Ebrima Bah, a participant shared his expectations and how the training would help implement the skills and knowledge gained out of the training.
The training, he added, would be of benefit to them as journalists reporting on issues relating to fishing, and knowing the operations of fishing industry in The Gambia.
“It will also help us to filter information for public consumption.”
Habibou Bojang, current executive director of SANYEPD, spoke about some of their targets, which include implementing of laws to ensure growth in the industry
