Gambia: Luring fishermen back to the sea

BANJUL: Dwindling stocks and profits are driving thousands of young Gambian fishermen out of the industry but the government hopes to lure them back through tighter regulation and greater investment.

7 May 2009

“The fishing industry has suffered from years of neglect, and a lack of storage facilities means thousands of tonnes of fish are wasted each year,” Ousman Mass Jobe, an official in the Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and the Environment, told IRIN. “Building a new fish market is part of our approach to breathe new life into the industry. Now is the time to lure lost generations of Gambian youths back.”

Up to 3,000 youths abandoned fishing between 2001 and 2005 the Minister of Fisheries, Water Resources and the Environment Mankuba Touray told reporters in early May.

Read the full article on IRIN.