By Tabora Bojang
The West African Association for the Development of Artisanal Fisheries (WADAF) recently held a restitution session for 20 participants drawn from the artisanal fisheries professional organisations.
The session was held under the theme: “Management of Processing Sites and Artisanal Valorization Techniques of Artisanal Fisheries Products”.
It was held at the Brufut Fishing Center and attended by the WADAF executive secretary, the president of the Gambia UPO GAMFIDA among others.
According to the organisers, the session was also meant to strengthen the technical skills of artisanal fisheries professionals with a view to improving artisanal sea products processing techniques and conditions.
Kumba Bojang, the president of the Brufut Fish Smokers Association and Oumie Faye of Bakau, respectively, who attended trainings on five different modules under the project in Senegal, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, were the main resource persons for the restitution session.
The sessions focused on management of sea products, hygiene standards, good practices of artisanal processing, fish preservation and spoilage causes.
Participants are expected to improve their know- how on the principles and standards governing the management of artisanal processing sites and more importantly to understand the good practices of artisanal processing of sea products such as fermentation, drying, braising, smoking, salting and other enhanced techniques.
Speaking ahead of the session, WADAF executive secretary Musa Mbengue said the project consolidates the impressive results of the first project and it basically aims to strengthen the professional skills of the artisanal fisheries professional organisations and their autonomy in order to improve their influence on fisheries public policies in the seven countries covered by the sub-regional fisheries commission.
“A proposed collective action project for the benefit of tati- preh on artisanal fisheries in the light of the acquired skills and problems faced by fish processors in their locality. Four million franc CFA is allocated for this proposed project if the locals agree as to what it will be implemented on,” he said.
