Go West Africa Marine Eco Region (WAMER), a four-year project co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and other stake holders on Tuesday launched the National Platform for Sustainable Fisheries at the TANGO conference hall.
The four-year project will be implemented in six of the seven countries of the WAMER eco-region; namely Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde. The main objective of the project is to eradicate poverty and strengthen food security in the coastal communities of West Africa Marine Eco-Region (WAMER) through the improvement of governance and adoption of best practices in terms of sustainable utilization of marine and coastal resources in the eco-region.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Dr Bamba Banja, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resource pointed out that the National Platform for Sustainable Fisheries was established in August 2013 with the support of the EU, UNDP, WWP,WAMPO and Go WAMER.
PS Banja further stressed that the fisheries sector contribute significantly to the social, cultural and economic well-being of coastal communities in the Gambia adding that the sector contributes more than five percent to the GDP, in addition to the provision of animal protein for a balance diet.
“However, this benefits are presently threatened as a result of the impact of climate change, poor and in adequate management practices, the use of in appropriate fishing techniques, as well as the illegal and unregulated fishing”.
Dr Banja called for concerted efforts among government institutions, local communities, civil societies organizations,as well as NGOs and other development partners to overcome the challenges facing the sector through sharing of information on illegal fishing among other threatening factors.
He described the launching of the National Platform for Sustainable Fisheries of the Gambia as timely, appropriate and in the right direction; particularly when government is working with stakeholders and development partners to improve the conservation and management of fisheries resources.
Dr Banja pointed out that as the Ministry responsible for the management and development of fish in The Gambia, he used the occasion to urged members of the National Platform for Sustainable Fisheries to work with all partners so as to strengthen the conservation and management of fisheries including other natural resources.
For his part, Famara Dampha, the director of the Department of Fisheries spoke at length about the importance of sustainable fisheries .
According to him the key objective of the fisheries sector is to enhance the sustainability of fisheries resources for the benefit of both the present and future generation but for the generation . He said the organization should be a permanent platform of that would promote sustainability.
Mr Darren, a representative of WWF Banjul Office, said that, WAMER ,is an EU funded project managed at the European Union headquarters in Brussel. He said that the EU in the past years has been providing support in the management of the natural resources especially in the coastal areas of the sub-region.
Other speakers include Alagie Manjang and Mustapha Yarboe of the National Platform for Sustainable Fisheries. They all acknowledged the significance of launching the platform while hopping that there would be massive improvement in terms of the management and conservation of our marine natural resources, the event was moderated by Dawda S. Saine of the (NAPSUF).