The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Hatab Fadera
22 December 2008
Officials from the Department of State for Fisheries have proposed the need for women oyster producers in the country to engage in other livelihood ventures during their off season periods in a bid to increase the level of their income earning.
The officials believe that such a venture would enhance the livelihood conditions for them, as the hectic venture of oyster production alone might not meet all their demands. Since oyster production is predominantly a women's venture in the country, the officials suggested for them to also venture into horticultural gardening, as well as small scale business activities during the course of their off-season.
This proposal was made last Friday at the Fisheries Department in Banjul, during a day's seminar organised by the said department, in conjunction with the Environmental Development NGO based in Senegal. The day long seminar that was also meant to discuss other general issues pertinent to the development and enhancement of oyster production in the country brought together at least 50 women oyster producers within the Greater Banjul Area and beyond.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Observer, Mr Adiatou Njai, director of Fisheries Department, said there is a great need for the oyster producers to engage in alternative livelihood ventures during their off-season. He noted that by that way they will increase the level of their earning. Mr Njai spoke about his department's intervention in assisting the producers. He disclosed that his department sometime back was able to give loans to them through the Social Development Fund.
In addition, he said that they have observed the producers' lack of sufficient equipment to carry out their work effectively. He noted further that based on that the Fisheries Department, together with their collaborating NGO, is looking at possibility of empowering them with such equipment so as to do their work properly under safe condition.
On marketing, he pointed out that they were able to help them channel their products through markets that are more lucrative.
"But for now, the marketing of oysters is strictly very local, and in other to export oysters, there are so many sanitary conditions that we have to improve on to meet international standards. At the moment, among our key issues is to improve the sanitary and hygiene conditions," the fisheries director said.
Famara Dampha, assistant director of fisheries, buttressed the need for the oyster producers to venture into alternative livelihoods, notably, horticultural gardening, during the off-season of the production. He also suggested the need for them to save their small income that are been generated during the course of the production season so as to enable them venture into small scale businesses in the off-seasons.
He expressed their department's resolve to continue supporting the oyster producers in the country. Madam Fatou Janha, coordinator for the Try Association, was equally very much positive about the fact that oyster producers need to venture into off-seasonal activities in a bid to raise income to sustain their families. She however noted that by capacitating them, they would help a great deal in improving and enhancing the conditions of their work.
Mrs Anna Mbenga Cham, senior fisheries officer at the Fisheries Department, described off-seasonal ventures as good for the poor oyster women producers, saying that it will enhance their livelihoods.
According to her, the reason behind her department's intervention is to help them on technical knowledge on how to maintain sustainable way of harvesting, to avoid mangroves destruction, as well as on processing and marketing. She spoke about an oyster study conducted by their Senegalese counterparts in the country, noting that it was aimed at developing the production in the country.
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