BY Hatab Nyang / Louise Jobe
Environmental activists and concerned Youth of Sanyang village in Kombo South, held a peaceful protest on Saturday June 30th, to call for the immediate closure of Nissim Fishmeal factory, in their community.
Speaking at the end of their protest, Yusupha Jobe a youth activist and native of Sanyang village, said since August 2017 before its establishment, the youth of the village have been expressing their dissatisfaction on the presence of the fishmeal factory; that several letters were written to concern authorities but to no avail; that on the 6th of May 2018 when the Fishmeal factory started operations, the community and the surrounding villages felt uncomfortable to breathe even in their homes, due to the unbearable stench that comes from the factory and the disposal of the toxic waste that has destroyed many vegetable gardens belonging to women.
Jobe said the village beach that is known for its splendour among tourists, is not accommodating nowadays due to the foul stench coming from the Fishmeal Factory.
Jobe enumerated the challenges posed to the village by the Fishmeal factory among them the foul smell, the destruction of the women’s vegetable gardens and the unguided dumping of toxic water from the factory that can impact negatively on the lives of juvenile fish that shelters within the mangroves within the tributaries; that they cannot allow the fishmeal factory to destroy their environment including marine life. He strongly appealed to the Government of the day and concerned partners at home and abroad to come to their aid; that factories can be good for any country if it is friendly to the environment; that factories create jobs but not at the detriment of the people.
