Yankuba Touray, the secretary of state for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Affairs, has stated that the Artisanal Fisheries Development Project is being carried out satisfactorily, despite funding constraints.

SoS Touray made this statement on Monday at the National Assembly, while responding to a question posed to him by Babanding KK Daffeh, the NAM for Kiang Central, on what is retarding the start of the ADB/BADEA fisheries project of about US$4.7 million, signed by The Gambia government in 2003, to uplift the status of Bintang, Kemoto, Tankular and Tendaba landing sites.

According to SoS Touray, the project has five components, which includes, "fisheries infrastructure and facilities, credit programme; monitoring control and surveillance; strengthening of the fisheries department and project management".

He indicated that the infrastructure and facilities component involve the design, supervision and construction of a fisheries jetty, central fish market in Bakoteh and the rehabilitation of three inland fishing sites at Tendaba, Albreda and Bintang. "Kemoto and Tankular are not part of this current project phase," he told the National Assembly.

"However, after tender evaluation, there is a shortfall in funding all the three sub-components of the infrastructure component of the project," he emphasised. According to him, it was against this background that the construction of the fisheries jetty had to be priotised over the others, alongside the construction of the fish market and rehabilitation of the three inland fishing sites," he said.

However, with the availability of funds, SoS Touray continued, the remaining sub-components will be implemented.

While expressing hope that the construction work for a jetty will begin by the end of the year, the Fisheries and Water Resources Secretary of State concluded that his department, in conjunction with concerned institutions, are now at an advanced stage of awarding a contract to the most responsive bidder for the construction of the fisheries jetty.