The department of Parks and Wildlife Management in collaboration with RAMPAO recently held five day regional training on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fisheries standard tools for sustainable fisheries in West Africa.

The training currently undergoing at the Senegambia Beach Hotel is funded by MAVA Foundation Pour LA Nature. Officials said its aim at supporting sustainable fisheries of small pelagics in Management Protected Areas (MPAs) and other protected areas in West Africa.

Carlos Montero Castano, Accessibility Manager Developing World and Accessibility Science and Standards Team spoke at length on the significant of the forum, while urging the participants to participate well with a view to enable them achieved the objectives of the training.

He added: “We want to try and help improved the management of the small pelagics resources which are of ‘paramount’ significance socio-economically not only environmentally to the region.”

“We are open to interact with all of you within the project and many others. We want to establish the network of collaboration in the near future with the fisheries sector and also the government because they are the decision makers,” he stated, saying The Gambia is one of their key collaborator especially the fisheries and the environmental department.

Nuha Jammeh, Focal Person of RAMPAO at the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management applauded MSC and others for their remarkable effort towards developing this importance project together with their colleagues at RAMPAO.

Mr. Jammeh reflects on the project, conservation and sustainable management of small pelagics in marine protected areas. He said at RAMPAO most of the conversation measures are taken out of protected areas. “So, they thought protected areas play a significance role in terms of providing habitants and other conducive environment for small pelagics.”

Ousainou Touray, deputy Director Department of Parks and Wildlife Management dwelled on the importance of marine protects areas. He added: “Having the MSC fisheries standard tool training in the country cannot be over emphasised. The training will avail the opportunity for the country to establish a pool of expert so that whatever we do, we are not sourcing it outside the country.”

He said to enhance our fisheries and national resources; The Gambia benefited proceeds from the GEF 6 and took around six million dollars in order to develop a project that will assist the country to establish two very importance marine protected areas.

“Presently, we are experiencing lot of problem more especially about this fish meal factories that we have in the country. Today, most of the participants are attending an event so that they can at least discourage the government in licensing new factory.”

The training, he went on, has come at the right time, for the fact that it will give us the tool so that we can be able to manage the resources that we have in the country. “We didn’t have mineral in the country so it’s importance for us to protect our natural resources.”