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AP Video Shows 'Sea War' Off Gambia With Local Fishermen Targeting Foreign Trawlers

Policy shifts that put more Gambians on foreign vessels have turned economic grievances into dangerous confrontations.

Artisanal fishermen head out to fish in their boats at dusk from Brufut beach, Gambia, on March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Kawsu Leigh, a fisherman who was injured in a seabound arson attack, stands for a portrait at his home in Banjul, Gambia, on March 25, 2025, almost a year after an attack on the foreign-owned vessel Abu Islam where he was working. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Fisherman Salif Nudure shows some of his unusable nets damaged by trawlers, at Gunjur, Gambia, on March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Artisanal fishermen on the shore of Gunjur, Gambia, on March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)

Overview

  • Exclusive footage reviewed by the Associated Press shows an arson attack on the Egyptian-owned Abu Islam that left Gambian crewman Kawsu Leigh severely burned.
  • Gambia raised the required share of local crew on foreign-owned trawlers from 20% to at least 30%, increasing the likelihood of Gambians confronting fellow Gambians at sea.
  • Artisanal fishers accuse foreign vessels of illegal encroachment inside the 9‑nautical‑mile zone and of operating with improper documents and gear.
  • Enforcement remains sporadic, with eight foreign trawlers detained in a rare naval operation last March before returning to sea as fines were negotiated and penalties stayed limited.
  • Overfishing threatens key species and food security, prices are rising, deadly clashes include a collision that killed three fishermen, and some locals are selling boats or considering migration to Europe.