By: Louise Jobe
The Sub Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) together with stakeholders, organized its 2nd consultative meeting on the Ethmalosa Fimbriata Bonga otherwise called ‘Kobo’ in Wollof or ‘Chaloo’ in Mandinka. The convergence was held at a local Hotel in the Gambia on 2nd November 2017.
The aim of the convergence is to share experience on the sustainability of this fish species and to have a common management plan in the sub-region in all the seven member countries Bonga is caught.
Dr. Mika Samba Jobe, coordinator of MAVA, in his remarks highlighted that there are problems affecting ‘bonga’ fishing and that the SRFC have prepared a management plan with measures that are to be taken to manage the species within member countries; that since 2014 they have been monitoring bonga fishing and discovered that bonga fishing has been over exploited; that after their consultation with fishermen, they noticed that the bonga fish is decreasing in quantity within the sub-region. According to Mr. Jobe the Gambia like other countries within the sub-region, is being over exploited by fishermen and if measures are not taken, it can create problems for the future generation. Mr. Jobe said surveillance and monitoring measures will be strengthened because there are some unlicensed fishing boats that are fishing in our waters; that other problems are things like ‘good landing sites’, ‘good roads to transport catches’ to the provinces and some of the nets used by fishermen; that another problem is absence of ice plant and storage facility to preserve the fish before taking it to a market.
