THE GAMBIA 



The U.S. Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia, prepared the following report on the fisheries of The Gambia. The 

 report has been edited only slightly to help it conform to other country reports. 3 



1. Regulations 



All vessels fishing in Gambian waters must be 

 licensed. Foreign vessels can be licensed to fish in 

 Gambian waters in two ways: 1) under the term of 

 a bilateral agreement with The Gambia, or 2) by 

 creating a joint venture with a Gambian firm. 

 Fishing licenses can be allocated to foreign vessels 

 that have joint ventures with Gambian companies. 

 The limits placed on the number of such licenses is 

 based on the size (and therefore the approximate 

 fishing capacity) of the vessels. There is no statutory 

 limit on the number of licenses that can be issued. 

 Any registered Gambian fishing company may obtain 

 a license to fish in Gambian waters. Often Gambians 

 sell their licenses to foreign vessels for considerable 

 sums. Licensing fees for trawlers less than 400- 

 horsepower (hp) is $35 per gross ton (weight of the 

 vessel) per annum and those of 400-hp and above are 

 charged $44 per gross registered ton (GRT) per 

 annum on a pro rata basis. Foreign shrimpers are 

 assessed a fee of $17 per GRT per annum. Once a 

 vessel is licensed, there is no limit to the amount of 

 catch that it may land. 



The registration of fishing vessels is guided by 

 the Registration of Ships Act of 1968 amended by the 

 1977 Act to Accommodate Fishing Vessels. 

 Gambian registered fishing vessels must pay the 

 following: a) initial registration fee; b) annual 

 tonnage tax; c) harbor and ports dues; and d) survey 

 fees. There are no restrictive regulations to protect 

 the shipbuilding industry. Fishing licenses are issued 

 by the Department of Fisheries. Anyone wishing to 

 import new or used fishing vessels into Gambian 

 waters must first obtain written permission from the 

 Director of Fisheries. Failure to do so will result in 

 a maximum fine of $1,163, or one year in prison. 

 Since the fishing industry is targeted for 

 development, the importation of fishing gear is 

 exempt from import taxes. 



