Fishery Co-Management Plan for The Gambia Sole Complex Country/Territory Gambia Document type Miscellaneous Date 2012 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Fisheries Keyword Artisanal fishing Biodiversity Bycatch Capacity building Certification Climate change Data collection/reporting Enforcement/compliance Fishery management and conservation Fishing area Fishing gear/fishing method Fishing vessel Institution International trade Marine fisheries Marine fishes Mesh Monitoring Offences/penalties Precautionary principle Hygiene/sanitary procedures Size Subsidy/incentive Traceability/product tracing Wetlands Geographical area Africa, Least Developed Countries, North Atlantic, Sahel, Western Africa Abstract This Fishery Co-Management Plan, organized in eleven chapters and four tables, describes the outputs of the co-management planning process for the sole species complex in The Gambia. Given these uncertainties of the fishery sector and its importance, the management framework can minimize risk by using the precautionary approach, which calls upon managers to act in a more cautious or conservative manner relative to the level of uncertainty, adequacy, or reliability of the best available information and to take conservation and management measures. The plan identifies the resources in terms of fish species existing in the Gambia, their distribution and migration, their growth and spawning. The third chapter is dedicated to the description of fisheries, fishermen, vessels and fishing areas as well as to the description of the gillnet gear, used to catch sole and other gear types. Also the bycatch species are taken in consideration in this chapter. The plan further describes the current status of the fisheries and the fishery management in the Gambia (legal basis for co-management; description of the Special management area; establishment of the Sole Co-Management Committee). Going on the plan describes the management responsibilities, objectives and measures and the enforcement authority. The challenges are then considered, with regard to the data collection and the changing needs (with regards to the export , hygiene and sanitation requirements), the cleanliness of beaches, the climate change. Full text English Website www.crc.uri.edu