Fisheries

This division is responsible for;

• Projects
• Aquaculture Development

Though still in an embryonic stage, aquaculture is deemed to have huge growth potential in The Gambia. The development of subsistence, small-scale and commercial aquaculture is a stated Government policy (Fisheries Policy, 2007), given the nutritional and economic potential of this sub-sector. Indeed, aquaculture represents an additional source of animal protein, contributing to food security while reducing pressure on wild stocks (particularly the shrimp and oyster stocks). It can also create new jobs and generate foreign income. The country is particularly well positioned for shell fish farming, and shrimp exports command a high price in Europe.

Pilot aquaculture activities are currently being carried out by the Department of Fisheries, in co-operation with the Department of Agriculture, through an FAO Technical Cooperation Program (TCP) and previously a Taiwanese Technical Assistance program for the development of aquaculture in the country (DoF, 2016b1). Only one company (West African Aquaculture) is engaged in aquaculture on a commercial scale in The Gambia. In 2006, only 50 hectares out of its original 200 hectares, the farm produced 50 tonnes of shrimp (Access Gambia, 20162). Of the available 550 hectares only 40 hectares (10 ponds) were being used for production as at June 2012, with the hatchery producing 2.5 million post larvae (PL).The production cycle is 6 months (April - November).This means that there is an as-yet unexploited potential for significantly more of the available area to be put under cultivation. This could even serve as a model for production methods, which could potentially be adapted to the wider local context of West Africa.

The point was made that costs of production were too high for the business to be profitable. More specifically, the cost of energy was identified as a major constraint for commercial aquaculture development in The Gambia. Indeed, the industry is particularly energy intensive, given the energy requirements of the processing establishment (cold-chain infrastructure) and the ponds (pumping water from the estuary). While the price of fuel for power generation has increased by 900 percent over the last 10 years or so (from as low as D 5 per litre in the early 2000s, up to D 45/50 in more recent years), the export price for shrimps has increased by only 60 percent over the same period. Uncertainties associated with: production yield, escalating prices of production inputs and market price variability, or failure to meet stringent standards for safety and quality make commercial shrimp farming in The Gambia extremely risky. The slightest mistake can put a shrimp farm out of business, with significant non-recoverable costs, as the venture involves capital-intensive projects with big sunk costs (land lease/acquisition, pond construction, hatchery and processing factory, and water pumps). If commercial aquaculture in The Gambia is to become viable, the issue of escalating energy costs needs to be addressed. Also, hazard mitigating measures (price hedging, strict enforcement of hygiene and quality standards, careful environmental impact assessment, etc.) would need to be implemented.

• Oyster Culture - The Department of Fisheries conducted studies in the 1980s on the West African mangrove oyster (Crassostrea gasar/tulipa) which indicates great commercial potential. The competitive advantage enjoyed by this species that thrives in the Gambian estuary is: i) the fast rate of growth (relative to other commercial species harvested elsewhere); and ii) a relatively unpolluted environment (oysters thrive in the marine and brackish waters of the river and its estuarine areas, which, due to the virtual absence of polluting activities upstream, are relatively much cleaner than many estuarine areas elsewhere). However, market outlets/niches need to be adequately identified. The commercial expansion and/or upgrading of the industry will involve a shift in current harvesting from the wild towards oyster aquaculture, for a number of reasons: conservation purposes, as the oyster stock is already fully exploited/over-exploited; environmental reasons, to avoid more extensive damage to the fragile mangroves ecosystem; and commercial reasons, as oysters harvested from the wild tend to be smaller and less homogeneous than oysters potentially cultured in trays and on racks. The development of oyster aquaculture is likely to generate significant employment, particularly for poor women from marginalized communities. Two strategies merit further exploration with a view to identifying possible niche products for horizontal/vertical value addition: Limited quantities of oysters are currently exported, mainly for family use in the diaspora in the UK and the United States. This trade targets Gambians and others from the diaspora who have an occasional preference for traditional foods. There appears to be significant potential for expanded demand in this sector, especially after The Gambia has satisfied the sanitary requirements stipulated for oysters and other bivalves.
• Rural Fish Pond Culture - The Fisheries Department - in collaboration with the FAO and the Taiwanese mission in The Gambia has conducted rural fish pond culture trials in the irrigated rice fields in the Sapu swamps, in the Central River Region (CRR). Efforts concentrate mainly on the culture of the Nile tilapia (O.niloticus). The project established twenty earthen ponds of 286 square meters average size. It is also conducting the polyculture of the tilapia and the freshwater catfish (C. anguillaris), and both systems have shown promising results. A total of 383 kg of fish was harvested from 15 ponds, and fish harvests were sold on the spot at the pond site. Customers scrambled to buy this relatively cheap fish; and in fact to ensure that all customers got some fish, no customer was sold more than 2 kg. The total amount of cash brought in was D 14, 491, excluding fish consumed by farmers during communal work on the farm. A Fish Farmers’ Association has been formed, which includes both men and women. The implementation of the project has generated significant interest and requests for expansion, particularly by the beneficiary farmers, especially in reference to the cultivation of the fresh water catfish (C. anguillaris). In view of this development, the women rice farmers should be encouraged to put more of their plots under fish cultivation to increase the total yield of their land.

This division is responsible for;

• Fishery products export and import inspection approval and certification system
• Post-harvest technology and QC
• Trade (Export/Import)
• Training

This division is responsible for;

• Statistics and Resources
• Aquaculture R&D
• Bio-diversity/Environment
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• Resources Research
• Climate Change

This division is responsible for;

• Microbiological testing
• Chemical testing
• Research

Through the recognition of fisheries and aquaculture potentials as natural economic resources and by ensuring responsible and ecologically sustained fishing and aquaculture practices, to optimally harness The Gambia’s fisheries and aquaculture resources and to deliver employment, foreign exchange support, food and nutrition security in achieving accelerated national growth and development.

1. To effect a rational and sustainable utilization of the marine and inland fisheries resources, and develop aquaculture;
2. To use fish as a means to increase food security and livelihoods in rural areas, and improve the nutritional standards of the population;
3. To increase employment opportunities, and increase the participation of Gambians, especially women and young men, in all aspects and at all levels of the fisheries sector;
4. To increase the net foreign exchange earnings;
5. To improve the institutional capacity and legal framework for the management of the fisheries sector for sound decision-making in the fisheries sector;
6. To improve institutional linkages with other relevant sectors; and
7. To strengthen regional and international collaboration in the sustainable exploitation, management and conservation of shared stocks and shared water bodies, promote bio-diversity maintenance and enhancement and prevent environmental degradation.