By Hatab Nyang
A lorry alleged to be carrying juvenile fish was intercepted by youth of Gunjur around the gate of the Golden Lead Fishmeal Plant on the 9th November 2019.
This lorry was suspected to be from the Tanji fishing centre. Tension erupted between the youths and the people in the lorry for more than 1 hour before the lorry left the scene.
Some bystanders claimed similar juvenile fish have been caught during the early hours of the morning by a boat from Gunjur beach which was taken to Golden Lead Fishmeal.
Saikou Touray a native of Gunjur who is among those who stopped the lorry from entering the factory, said the Tanji Fisheries officers should not allow these fish to leave Tanji and come to Gunjur beach. He said Gunjur will not allow this because it is from another fishing centre where it was rejected and he asked why Gunjur should accept it?
Mr. Touray said these juvenile fish are the fish that will be needed in the near future and if they are all caught today, there will be no fish in the country’s waters in future.
“The fishermen knew very well that catching juvenile fish is not accepted by law but they know when they do it, they will sell it. That’s why they keep on catching juvenile fish,” he said
He added that the fishmeal plants should not buy juvenile fish.
“We in Gunjur will put a stop to this, juvenile fish will not be processed in Golden Lead,” Touray said.
During the confrontation between the juvenile fish owners from Tanji and angry youths from Gunjur, the fisheries officer Mr. Ebrima Jabang came out from his office and ordered the lorry to return to Tanji as his office has authority to determine whether juvenile fish could enter the factory or not.
