Gambian fishermen have reportedly confronted a foreign vessel they accused of fishing in protected waters off the country’s coast.

The confrontation, caught on video, involved an Egyptian-owned trawler, Abu Islam, according to the Associated Press.

A Gambian crew member, Kawsu Leigh, was seen writhing in pain from severe burns sustained in what was described as an arson attack.

He later told AP he was surprised to have survived and dismayed that Gambians were being turned into rivals at sea.

Fishing communities warn that the violence is tearing them apart, while overfishing to supply international seafood markets continues to deplete stocks and undermine livelihoods.

“It’s like most of them, when they are going for fishing, it’s as if they’re going for war,” said Abdou Sanyang, secretary-general of the Association of Gambia Sailors.

Experts have raised fears that fish populations off The Gambia could collapse in the coming years.

Brothers Famara and Salif Ndure told AP they had lost more than half of their nets to foreign trawlers, which they allege deliberately pull and damage them.

They added that the trawlers have become more aggressive since the government of President Adama Barrow reopened Gambian waters to foreign-owned vessels in 2017, following the ouster of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.

Famara said nets are often cut under cover of night, when trawlers venture beyond their authorised zones.

By law, local fishermen have exclusive rights within nine nautical miles of shore, but they claim foreign vessels sometimes operate as close as five.

In recent years, the Gambian government has increased the quota for local crew members on foreign-owned vessels from 20% to at least 30% — a policy fishermen fear is fuelling Gambian-versus-Gambian clashes at sea.