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7h ago

AP Video Shows Violent Escalation in Gambia’s Offshore Fishing Conflict

Exclusive footage underpins a court case over an arson attack, underscoring lax enforcement that is straining coastal livelihoods.

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)
Workers offload fish from a industrial fishing vessel at the port of Banjul, Gambia, on March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)

Overview

  • Video reviewed by the Associated Press shows local fishermen torching the Egyptian-owned trawler Abu Islam, severely burning Gambian crewman Kawsu Leigh.
  • Prosecutors have brought the arson case to court, and a separate case is being prepared over a 2024 collision with a trawler identified by fishermen as the Majilac 6 that killed three.
  • Gambia raised the required share of local crew on foreign vessels from 20% to at least 30% in the past two years, increasing the chances of Gambians confronting compatriots at sea.
  • Artisanal fishermen report trawlers operating inside the 9-nautical-mile zone, cutting costly nets and using unauthorized gear, while fines remain negotiable and repeat offenders quickly return to sea.
  • Gambia’s navy detained eight foreign trawlers last March, but depleted stocks and higher fish prices persist, with some fishermen selling boats or attempting Atlantic migration, as flagged by a 2023 Amnesty report.