By: Binta Jaiteh
Auditors from the National Audit Office have decried government’s failure to charge arrested vessels for illegal fishing.
The vessels include: Glossary Fishing, Aser, Alsidrah, Dalia, Abu Said, and others were accused of fishing in a prohibited zone.
This was disclosed in the 2023 audited accounts of the Gambian Government.
According to the auditors, the vessels were arrested to pay a minimum of D8,250.000.00 as required by the fisheries act, adding that there was no evidence that these vessels were fined by the consultative committee.
The report pointed out that an outstanding balance of D50,400,000 was not justified due to the absence of supporting payment documentation.
“A review of the 2023 arrested vessel data from the Gambia Navy and meeting minutes of the consultative committee revealed that vessels were fined a total of D60,450,000.00. However, only D10,050,000.00 was confirmed as received.
“There is a risk of understatement of funds in the financial statement. Management should provide evidence of payment for above mentioned vessels,” auditors recommended.
“There is a risk that the committee did not sit over these arrested vessels and subsequently released. There is a risk that these vessels were released without paying a fine,” the auditors added.
It was recommended that the Ministry of Fisheries should explain why the arrested vessels were not charged.
The government responded that the vessels were monitored by the FMC from 2023 to 2024, stating that the affected vessels, through their agents, were written to for acceptance of the infringement or otherwise.
“It is assured that the matter will be sent to the Ministry of Justice for further necessary action if no admitting confirmation is received,” it was stated.
The auditors reconfirmed, in consultation with personnel from the Department of Fisheries, that referenced vessels were arrested in 2023, not 2024, as initially stated.
“Consequently, these discrepancies persist and the finding remained unresolved,“ the auditors remarked.
The post Auditors Decry Gov’t’s Failure to Charge Vessels for Illegal Fishing appeared first on .
By: Binta Jaiteh Auditors from the National Audit Office have decried government’s failure to charge arrested vessels for illegal fishing.…
The post Auditors Decry Gov’t’s Failure to Charge Vessels for Illegal Fishing appeared first on .
