Gambia’s fishermen are caught in a ‘sea war’ with foreign vessels

Video exclusively obtained by The Associated Press documents an emerging problem in the fight for dominance between Gambian fishermen and foreign-owned commercial vessels in West African waters.

Local fishermen, angered by what they call illegal encroachment and sabotage by the foreign vessels, confronted one of the boats, the Egyptian-owned Abu Islam. Video footage shows the unintended result: A local fisherman, part of the foreign vessel’s crew, writhes with severe burns from the arson attack by his countrymen.

Gambians are now fighting Gambians at sea, driven by market forces — and foreign appetites – beyond their control.

The problem came from attempted reforms. To give locals more say, and pay, in commercial fishing, Gambia’s government now requires foreign vessels operating offshore to carry a certain percentage of Gambian crew.

The video was shared by the Association of Gambia Sailors. The AP reviewed more than 20 such videos from various sources showing confrontations since 2023.

In the past two years, Gambia’s government has increased the quota for local crew members on foreign-owned fishing vessels from 20% to at least 30% — meaning more potential for Gambians fighting Gambians.