NCC Discusses Fisheries Management for Poverty Reduction, Others

The National Consultative Committee for the Conservation and management of small pelagic fish stocks (NCC) has met during the course of last week to discuss on the organisation’s role towards contributing to food security and poverty alleviation through employment generation and improved earnings.
The meeting that was held at the Fisheries Department in Banjul, also availed participants the opportunity to dwell on the preambles of the newly formed organization, which focuses basically on strengthening the institutions and instruments of cooperation for the joint management of the stocks shared between The Gambia, Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania; countries that are joined by others to make up the Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC).
“Smalls pelagic are important in our ecosystem, because they provide food for most predecessors,” said Famara Darboe, assistant director of fisheries. We must therefore preserve them for posterity, he adds.
For him, the fisheries department will not relent in its effort to supporting the agenda of fisheries management and preservation.
However, the NCC could not come a better time than now when countries around the EU are busied tightening laws regarding fisheries and the sub-region is on its toe devising strategies of how to preserve fishing for posterity.
The first step in the formulation of the NCC is to support the establishment of a national consultation framework for improved management of small pelagic through the formulation of and strengthening of co-management committees also known as Local Consultative Committee.
“Seven villages (Banjul, Bakau, Old Jeshwang, Tanji, Sanyang, Gunjur, and Kartong) were identified as landing sites for small pelagic fish and local co-management committees established in each of them to assist the fisheries authorities with conservation and management of these resources,” a constitutional report of NCC disclosed.
The report highlights the specific objectives of the NCC as: to act as a consultative mechanism for stakeholders in the bid to conserve and manage the small pelagic fish stocks; participate in the coordination of the harmonization of management measures for trans-bordering stocks for the Canary; to contribute to the reduction of post-harvest fish losses, food security and poverty alleviation through a co-management approach among others.
For Asberr N Mendy principle fisheries officer, who also doubled as the Project Consultant: “Small pelagic are the aorta of the coastal communities and by extension to the states of the sub-region. They are the major source of animal protein for the coastal communities especially in the Gambia and Senegal; contributing about 30% of the per capita protein consumption in Senegal in 2003 and 25% in the Gambia in 2009.”
Hamady Diop rep. of the SRFC responsible for resources and development said his institions is mandated to take up any issue relating to fisheries that goes beyond the individual state’s reach. Reemphasising the importance of fisheries in the socio-economic development of member states, he pointed that it helps uplift the economic status of stakeholders involved in the sector; thus helping reduce poverty to a degree.
He underlined the commitment of the sub-regional commission to giving a right arm to the NCC, whilst saying that poverty reduction and employment are the main components of any organization engaged with activities relating to fisheries.
The event brought together stakeholders from various components engaged in activities related to fishing and water issues. The plan of action for NCC was also tabled before actors for review, in order to ensure smooth implementation, and a budget plan has been submitted to SRFC who is the main funding institution for the NCC.