🐟🌾 Rice-Fish Systems & Fisheries

Integrated rice-aquaculture · Climate-smart farming · Fisheries integration · Agro-tourism

~200k ha

Rice Lands

50–57k MT

Artisanal Catch/yr

5–12%

GDP Contribution

75–81%

Rice Import Dependence

🌾 Rice Ecologies in Gambia

Upland (Rainfed)

Yield: 0.9–1.2 t/ha

Area: ~30,000 ha

⚠️ Drought, erratic rainfall

🐟 Fish Potential: Low

Lowland Rainfed

Yield: 1.5–2.5 t/ha

Area: ~120,000 ha

⚠️ Flood, moderate salinity

🐟 Fish Potential: High

Tidal / Mangrove Swamp

Yield: 1–2 t/ha

Area: ~50,000 ha

⚠️ Salinity intrusion, acid sulfate soils

🐟 Fish Potential: Very High

Irrigated Lowland

Yield: 4–6.5 t/ha

Area: ~5,000 ha

⚠️ Low (managed systems)

🐟 Fish Potential: High

📈 Climate Impact Projections (2040–2050)

❌ Without adaptation: 8–15% yield decline

❌ Salinity could affect up to 30% of tidal fields

✅ With CSA: 7–40% yield increase vs baseline

✅ Combined CCA + irrigation: +51% production by 2050

Source: IMF/IFAD modelling, NRDS II, GNAIP II, National Adaptation Plans (2024)

✅ Rice-Fish Integration Benefits

🌾

Rice yields stable or +5–10%

🐟

Fish yield: 0.75–2.25 t/ha

💰

Income uplift: 28–64%

🌿

Reduced pesticides (fish eat pests)

🌱

Improved soil fertility

🌤️

Climate resilience

🐟 Fisheries & Aquaculture Zones

⚓

Artisanal Coastal

Atlantic coast — bonga shad, barracuda, grouper, shrimp. ~40,000 fishers.

📍 Tanji, Kartong, Gunjur, Bakau

🚣

Riverine / Estuarine

Gambia River — tilapia, catfish, carp, perch. Women-dominated processing.

📍 Banjul Jetty, Farafenni, Basse

🐠

Aquaculture Ponds

Catfish, tilapia, oyster nurseries. Climate-smart alternative to wild capture.

📍 North Bank, LRR, WCR ponds

🦪

Mangrove / Oyster

Women-led oyster harvesting from restored mangrove zones.

📍 Tanbi Wetland Complex, Kartong

🌾 Agro-Tourism Synergies

🎣

Catch-Your-Own Fish

Guided fishing experiences in rice paddies and fish ponds

🍚

Farm-to-Table Rice Meals

Traditional benachin and domoda made from local rice varieties

📖

Women-Led Rice Tours

Cultural storytelling of lowland rice cultivation traditions

🦩

Bird Watching

Over 400 species spotted in and around Gambia rice ecologies

🌊

Mangrove Restoration Walks

Guided tours of blue-carbon mangrove restoration zones

🦪

Oyster Harvesting

Join women harvesters in mangrove oyster nurseries

💰 GIEPA-Aligned Investment Opportunities

Priority Sectors — Tax Holiday 5–8 Years · Import Duty Exemptions · EPZ for Export Plants

Tidal Rice SchemesPump/tidal irrigation on ~50,000 ha. GIEPA priority — 5-8yr tax holiday.High

Aquaculture Commercial ScaleCatfish/tilapia ponds. Feed production. 1.1% annual growth to 2028.High

Fish Processing PlantCold storage, smoking, canning, export (≥80% = full EPZ relief).High

Salt-Tolerant Seed ProductionR&D + multiplication of climate-adapted rice varieties.Medium

Agro-Tourism Farm StaysEco-lodges at rice farms. Link to tourism/discovery modules.Medium

Cold-Chain LogisticsRefrigerated transport for fish. Integration with car hire escrow model.Medium

🌾 Explore Produce Map 🗺️ Agro-Tourism Map 🌳 Forest & Mangrove Data

Sources: Ministry of Agriculture · NRDS II · GNAIP II · GBOS 2024 · IMF/IFAD Climate Models · GIEPA · FORTIS OS™ — © FORTIS INVICTA LTD