Climate change is already impacting the fishery sector of The Gambia and its effects and severity is expected to get aggravated with the increase in temperature expected to happen in future years. With fish being one of main protein sources in The Gambia , impacts on its availability affects the food security of the country, especially the most vulnerable ones. The sector in itself, but specially the fish post-catch handling, storage and processing activities undertaken by artisanal fishing communities within the fishery sector, that are not adapted to climate change impacts.

They are the ones that are expected to be most affected by the impacts of climate change, as they are the most vulnerable and the ones with less adaptative capacity. Thus, there is a need to adapt the sector activities to the impacts already being felt and the ones that are expected to happen in the coming future. For that, it is important to adopt practices and technologies are more environmentally friendly and that have a reduced impact on the environment, including reduction of fish processing waste, contributing in this way to increase the sustainability of the sector and increase its resilience to climate change.

But of course, this can only happen if there is legal and regulatory framework that promotes/incentivises adaptation, especially for the artisanal fishing value chains, adaptation technologies and business models are made available and demonstrated, and of course, if information and knowledge on climate change and how one can adapt to it is shared amongst the coastal communities, enterprises and agents acting on the sector.

The GEF 6 Fisheries CCA Project addresses the barriers identified with various segments of the fisheries value chain, which if not adequately  hamper the identification of relevant policy responses and climate-technology solutions. Studies on the value chain of small fishers are needed to address issues related to fluctuations in the total landings of the main small pelagic group. In addition to variation income of fishers that affects fisheries livelihoods and economies.

Through building the technical and managerial capacity of the MoFWR/DoF and working with fisheries communities to improve resource management, innovative business models and technologies will be promoted, with private sector investments mobilized to address challenges of post-harvest losses and waste, food security outcomes and livelihoods diversification. Access to weather information will also be addressed as well as increasing awareness among the various actors about climate change and climate variability and their impact on coastal fisheries. Additionally, as highlighted on the main barriers, strategies that are gender specific in relevance to adaptation planning within the fisheries sector will also be addressed as part of the project supported actions.