BANJUL, Gambia (AP) — A brewing “sea war” off Gambia pits local fishermen against foreign trawlers, and each other, as overfishing and global seafood demand strain dwindling stocks. The clashes are fracturing coastal communities, with experts warning that Gambia’s fish population could collapse within years.
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)
Artisanal fishermen cast their nets in the waters off the coast of Gambia, on March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Famara Ndure, a fisherman for more than 40 years, leans against his boat in Gunjur, Gambia, after a day of work, 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 gather freshly caught fish at the fish landing site in Tanji, Gambia, on March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Freshly-caught red snapper fish caught off the coast of Gambia are offloaded from a fishing vessel in the port of Banjul, Gambia, on March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Workers pack and ice fresh caught fish at the fish landing site in Tanji, Gambia, on March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
Artisanal fishermen sell their catch from boats to local fishmongers at the coastal community 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)
Artisanal fishing boats sit in the water outside the fish landing site in Tanji, Gambia, on March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Grace Ekpu)
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