FAO plans to overhaul Gambia’s mangrove oyster industry

Sustainable growth of The Gambia’s oyster sector depends on better production and responsible resource management, according to an upgrading strategy presented to 50 experts and stakeholders on 28 September. It will improve the livelihoods of the women who dominate this small-scale sector and can turn the tide on declining oyster stocks. “This plan fits perfectly in Gambia’s ambition of making its fisheries more sustainable and improve the food and nutrition security of our population,” said Omar Gibba, permanent secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, at the start of a meeting where a 10-year strategy to upgrade Gambia’s oyster value chain was presented. He added, “it will benefit small-scale producers in particular, most of them women, who can feed their families and improve their livelihoods.” The strategy results from a collaborative effort between key stakeholders involved in The Gambia’s oyster sector, spearheaded by FISH4ACP, a ...