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Gambia News: Bakau Fishermen Complain of Life Jackets

The fishermen at Bakau seaside, in an interview with this reporter, complained about the use of life jackets for fishing expedition.

Speaking to this reporter, Assan Jeng, a fisherman, said their main constraint is the use of life jackets for fishing expedition. He said the Fire Service Rescue-At-Sea team always forces them to put on life jackets before going out at sea. He added that sometimes if they forget to put on their life jackets the fire service rescue-at-sea team would detain them for hours at their station.

Jeng complained that they do not feel comfortable by putting on a life jacket whilst working at sea. He said that the high cost of fuel also impact on their business because they use thirty litres of fuel per expedition and a litre cost D36.00; that they also stay for long hours in the sea to catch fish and the sea waves also disturb them.

He said that they sold their fish caught at the seaside to the fish mongers (Bana Bana) at a price of D1,000, per basket, for cat fish, and D2,000, per basket, for lady fish. He noted that the price of fish depend on the availability of fish at sea; that if plenty of fish is caught then they sell at a lesser price.

Another fisherman, Abu Janneh, explained that the sea waves disturb them at sea and that if the weather becomes too cold their canoes use to capsize. He said that their cold room and ice plant is in a poor condition with only one engine, which cannot serve all the fisherfolks. He said sometimes if they catch plenty of fish they don't have people to buy all the fish and the remaining will be thrown away as a result of lack of storage room. He however added that although their business is faring smoothly with little profits it is the cost of fuel that is very expensive. He explained that often four people do embarked on an expedition and they sometimes go beyond Gambia to catch fish. Abu said that the high cost of fuel also impacts on their business, noting that they sometimes use thirty-forty litres of fuel on one expedition.

Modou Gaye, also a fisherman, said the big canoes and boats always cut their nets at sea which is a real problem. He said the life jackets being forced on them to put on before going out to sea is also a problem to them. Modou explained that sometimes they don't see enough fish mongers to buy their fish and that they sometimes give them their fish on credit basis. He said the fuel cost is also expensive and that they consume a lot of fuel for an expedition.

When contacted, the PRO at the Bakau Fire Station, Ms. Haddy Bah, said the use of life jacket for fishing is a law. She added that the use of life jacket is for the safety of the fisherman at sea; that the law was put in place as a result of many fatal accidents that occur at sea; that the use of lifejackets applies to everybody traveling in canoes or boats and not only fishermen.

The PRO concluded that the main reason behind the use of the life jacket at sea is for the safety and protection of the people, especially fishermen.