EAF-Nansen Program supports the identification and harmonization of management measures for shared Sardinella fisheries in The Gambia

14/04/2023

9-14 April 2023, The Gambia – The EAF-Nansen Programme organized a meeting with key stakeholders in the fisheries communities Tanji and Gunjur in The Gambia, to advance the development of a management plan for the sardinella fishery according to the ecosystem approach.

In Tanji, consultations took place with the representatives of the Tanji Fisheries Management Committee, fishermen with purse seine vessels, drift nets and gillnets, women processors, wholesalers and representatives of from other fisheries services involved in monitoring, control and surveillance, as well as navy and local authorities. Stakeholders from the Bakau and Brufut sites were also represented.

In Gunjur, the consultation took place at the Gunjur landing site, in the presence of representatives of the Gunjur Fisheries Management Committee, representatives of purse seine fishermen, driftnets, encircling gillnets (Saina), women processors, wholesalers and representatives of fisheries services, the Navy, non-state actors, the village development committee and local authorities. Representatives of Senegalese purse seiners from St Louis were also present, as well as stakeholders from Sanyang, Kartong and former Jeshwang landing sites.

In both fishing sites, all stakeholders validated the current situation of the fishery and underlined the injustice of the night fishing ban that takes place in from 1-30 November in The Gambia. At present, the ban only applies to artisanal fleets, whereas industrial and semi-industrial fleets can continue to fish, landing small pelagics to supply fishmeal factories.

The artisanal fishermen also criticized the illegal fishing practices of these fleets (fishing near the coast, destruction of bottom and other critical habitats, and the fishing juveniles), which have a negative impact on the environment and the sustainability of the fisheries resources.

The development of the fishmeal industry in Gunjur was another cause of concern. At present, the industry uses a lot of sardinella and ethmalosa to make fish meal to be exported out of The Gambia. As a result, Sardinella resources have become rare and expensive, making it difficult for local communities to obtain Sardinella for their own consumption.

As a final point, the fisheries stakeholders strongly recommended strengthening the regional collaboration between The Gambia and Senegal, and to harmonize the fisheries management measures in the two countries.

About the EAF Nansen Programme and the "Shared Sardinella initiative"

The EAF-Nansen Programme’s "Shared Sardinella initiative" was launched in 2020, responding to the need for regional collaboration on the management of shared sardinella stocks between Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia.

At present, stocks of Round and Flat Sardinella are largely overexploited, and urgent action must be taken according to latest recommendations by experts from the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF):

"The assessment and the historical series on sardinella show that the round sardinella stock is in a critical situation caused by strong overexploitation. The working group reiterates the recommendations of previous years for the management of the stock and advocates for a substantial and immediate reduction in fishing effort and mortality. The working group has proposed a reduction of at least 60 percent of the current mortality on this stock.

To improve the state of sardinella stocks, it is recommended to prohibit their use for the manufacture of fishmeal. The working group also recommended that national governments assume their responsibilities for the sustainable management of sardinella and initiate consultations on the joint management of this fundamental resource."

It is in this context that FAO, through the "Shared Sardinella initiative" of the EAF-Nansen Programme, supports regional collaboration for the sustainable management of these strategic resources for the entire sub-region.

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