Page 32 - FAO Aquaculture News, May 2021 - No. 63

Aquaculture

Updates by

Region

©FAO Aquaculture Updates by Region

New Opportunities for Aquaculture

Development in The Gambia

nnual fish consumption per person
Ain The Gambia has been fluctuating
between 25 and 30 kg, well above the
global average consumption for the last
decade . With natural fisheries resources
1
under full exploitation , the Gambian
2
Government is promoting aquaculture
production in order to stay above the
global average with a rapid growing
population.

In response to the challenges faced in
capture fisheries, the Government of
The Gambia has set aquaculture as one
of the priority intervention sectors for
creating decent jobs (especially for youth
and women), reducing poverty, improving ©FAO/Sirra Njai
productivity and boosting economic
growth. The Jahally Aquaculture Center was rehabilitated under the FAO project, and now is
able to provide adequate fingerlings and locally produced fish feed to the country’s
At the request of the Gambian aquaculture farmers.
Government, FAO implemented the
project entitled Support to enhancing the capacity of youth farmers, including young men and women, and encouraging
and women for employment in aquaculture, under its them to implement innovative aquaculture production
Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/GAM/3603), technologies.
from 2016 to 2019. The project contributed to Africa’s
Blue Growth Initiative; its main goal was to improve Various attempts had been undertaken previously to
fish supply for food and nutrition through more efficient develop the aquaculture sector in the country, but adoption
and sustainable use of aquaculture resources by training by fish farmers and the private sector was hampered not
only by the lack of quality fingerlings and fish feed but
also by the lack of technical skills of potential farmers and
Written by: government officers.
Martin Van der Knaap
E-mail: Martinus.VanDerKnaap@fao.org
The project’s objective was to establish a solid and
Subregional Office for Eastern Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
functioning foundation for sustainable provision of and
Sirra Njai Sanyang
E-mail: Sirra.Njai@fao.org
1. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Country Profile of The Gambia (available at:
FAO Gambia Country Office www.fao.org/fishery/facp/GMB/en).
2. CECAF Working Groups for Demersal and Pelagic Fisheries Resources.

FAO AQUACULTURE NEWS – Nº. 63 ■ MAY 2021 31