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Momodou
Denmark
11826 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Apr 2008 : 20:32:55
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Senegal/Gambia Sign Fisheries Communique
By Amie Sanneh
The signing of a communiqué by The Senegalese and Gambian Fisheries ministers marked the end of a joint ministerial meeting, at the Atlantic Hotel, on Monday, 14 April, during which they reviewed their bilateral cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture. The final communiqué was signed by the Gambian Secretary of State for fisheries, Yankuba Touray and the Senegalese counterpart, Souleymane Njéné Ndiaye, on behalf of their respective countries.
The two ministers, in their statements, reiterated the commitment of the two states to make the fisheries sector a priority area of cooperation and economic integration.
According to the agreement, this new protocol of implementation offers concrete and clear conditions for the conduct of fishing activities in the fisheries waters of the two states. This will, at the same time, expand other areas of fisheries cooperation, particularly, fisheries surveillance, fisheries research, training, aquaculture and partnership between economic operators.
The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to reinforce consultation at the bilateral and regional levels and to play an active role in endeavours where critical issues concerning the future of fisheries are discussed.
The two ministers called for the holding of a summit of Heads of State and Government of member states of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) in order to give strategic political orientations to this organisation of mutual interest. To this end, they requested the Permanent Secretary of SRFC, in liaison with the chairman of the conference of ministers, to take necessary measures as soon as possible.
Conscious of the need to establish permanent dialogue between the competent authorities of the two states, the two sides agreed to meet regularly to evaluate implementation of the texts which laid out conditions of cooperation in fisheries and all other agreed measures.
According to Article 13 of the said protocol of implementation of the Senegalo-Gambian Fisheries Agreement., the two Ministers are to meet every two years to review their agreement. This recent meeting is the fifth of its kind according to the Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Fisheries, Lamin Nyabally, who chaired the opening ceremony. He added that the fisheries agreement was singed in 1992 between The Gambia and Senegal.
Officially opening the meeting, the host and Secretary of State for Fisheries and Water Resources Yankuba Touray said that, in recent years, fisheries resources can no longer sustain the growing international demand. He urged his colleagues to ensure that the agreement reflects the conservation and management measures for the sustainable exploitation of the fisheries resources of both countries.
Speaking earlier, the Senegalese Minister of Maritime, Transport, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Souleymane Njéné Ndiaye, said The Gambia and Senegal are linked by history, blood and culture. He added that the two countries are working together in many areas such as Fisheries and Agriculture, which, he said, will strengthen their relationships.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 44/2008, 16 – 17 April 2008
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