Scores of dead fish wash up on Gunjur and Sanyang beaches on Wednesday night in an ongoing environmental disaster that have affected the coastal villages and communities in the Kombos.  

The cause of this environmental disaster has been blamed on over fishing and the presence of fish processing factories that discharge toxic waste to the seas.

Sulayman Bojang, President of the Gunjur Youth Association blamed the fishmeal factories for plundering the Gambia’s natural resources without regards for the environmental impact of their actions.

“This happened during the night of Wednesday May 8 when the fishermen dumped their catches at sea, because Fishmeal Factories rejected them. As at now, people are worried and in distress as to how the nation’s natural resources are being plundered and wasted.”

Chinese-owned fishmeal plants operating in the area have been blamed by the locals for the damages they are causing to the beaches in the Kombos. Golden Lead is one of the three Chinese-owned plants that were temporary closed after complaints about their waste disposal methods.

They have re-opened in recent months after reaching out of court settlements with the authorities.

According to environmentalists, the country’s natural resources are being depleted at such an alarming rate that some fish are becoming rare in the country.

They warn that the production of fishmeal is not only weakening food security in Gambia but is contributing to the existing pressures of overfishing in the region.