Gambia is one of the African countries where fish are being harvested from the Rivers by foreign industrial trawlers and fishmeal industries, leading to the death of millions of aquatic creatures in the Rivers.
Investigations in Gambia by our correspondent revealed a high decline in fish population in Rivers in the Gambia due to environmental degradations.
The fishmeal companies are using chemicals to harvest the fish; making them pass through excruciating pains before dying.
It is not only fishes that are victims of this act, but other aquatic creatures such as tortoises, reptiles and sea- mammals are being killed by the chemical pollution.
Pained by the attendant effect of these nefarious activities against human livelihood, a Human Rights organisation, Amnesty International, is mobilizing thousands of online petitions to the President of Gambia, Adama Barrow to put a stop to the harmful practices, which it says will exacerbate food insecurity in the country.
The organisation on World Food Day said ” Overfishing by foreign industrial trawlers and fishmeal factories threatens access to marine resources, exacerbating the risk of food insecurity for residents.
This crisis affects not only families but also local businesses, both struggling with fish scarcity and rising prices.
Did you know that fishmeal factories, like the ones that operate in Gambia, need 4.5kg of fish to produce just 1kg of fishmeal powder? This reduces the availability of fish for the communities and violates the basic human right to food.”
Amnesty has taken the bold step to fight for human Safety.
However, the petition has shown that millions of fish are being killed in a month or more to satisfy the business urges of fishmeal companies to make a profit at the expense of the aquatic creatures.
Who now fights for aquatic rights?
Stories by Ademu Usman Idakwo
