Pa Modou,
Thanks for sharing this article with us, you made my day after this sad event
of Senegal loosing the world cup match.
I remember going to many of such traditional fishing trips and have a few
photos taken last January from "Kaimaasala" the ponds between Wasu and Kuntaur
Fulla Kunda.
You wrote:
> In most parts of the Upper River Division (CRD)
I think you meant URD since the article was about Wuli and Sandu.
Do you know that one of the factors of the disintegration of Naini was started
as a result of a dispute after such a festival/ceremony according to oral
tradition? The dispute was said to develop to the a rebellion later.
I'am not sure but I think that's why later, King of Lower Niani at Kataba was
attacked by the king of Upper Niani, Kementeng in 1840. It had been stated that
"the king of Lower Niani ( Kataba) sought the assistance of the administrator,
of the British settlements and they united to combat Kementeng.
In 1844, the administrator of the British settlements requested one square mile
from the king of Lower Niani to build a fort."
regards,
Momodou Camara
On 22 Jun 2002 at 16:44, Jungle Sunrise wrote:
> When I saw the photo that accompanied this article (by Ebrima Jammeh of The
> Daily Observer) of young men and children fishing in a shallow pond using
> different types of fishing gears, ranging from fishing baskets, spears, various
> types of nets etc, I just couldn’t resist posting it on the net. It reminds me
> so much of when I was going to school in Kuntaur as a young boy and seeing the
> same scene between Kuntaur and Fulla Kunda. I hope some of you would derive as
> much pleasure from it as I do. Any typographical errors are mine and for that I
> sincerely apologise.
>
> Have a good day, Gassa.
>
> TRADIONAL INLAND FISHING IN THE CRD
> (By Ebrima M Jammeh)
>
> Inland fishing is conducted in the tributaries of the River Gambia. These
> tributaries or bolongs stretch into ponds, which are later cut-off from the
> streams during the dry season. It is during the rainy season that the streams
> supply the ponds with water and fish. These ponds, which are later cut-off from
> the main river, become sites of intensive fishing.
>
> In most parts of the Upper River Division (CRD), these ponds belong to whole
> villages or particular communities. Thus traditionally known proprietors
> supervise the fishing activities. Usually fishing activities commence when the
> water levels in these streams have ebbed.
>
> (i) Fishing Ceremony/Festival
> It is obligatory that the first fishing activity conducted in the ponds must be
> preceded by a night of festivity before the fishing commences. The festival is
> usually in the form of area wrestling contests. Wrestlers and other fishermen
> converge in the village that hosts the fishing festival. The wrestling contest
> lasts till dawn from where everybody would proceed to the fishing pond. Each
> pond accommodates up to ten villages. All the villages located in the locality
> where the fishing pond is found are usually informed at least two weeks before
> the fishing day.
>
> (ii) The actual fishing day
> The actual fishing day is usually very exciting when children, men and some
> middle-aged women all head for the pond directly from the wrestling contest at
> dawn. The pond is sometimes several kilometres from the village. All the
> villages concerned would reach for the relevant pond on horses and donkeys, or
> carts drawn by same; others would go on bicycles whilst others would make it on
> foot.
>
> When all the people gather at the ponds in groups of villages, a headman at each
> pond who announces the start of the fishing, will ask if all villages of the
> locality are present by calling the village names one after the other, to which
> they answer to their village names in unison. The headman will then signal the
> start of fishing by shouting at the top of his voice and plunging into the pond
> first with his fishing devices, and thereafter all the villages from various
> sides of the pond would respond and shouting in unison. Children and women who
> are usually scared of the situation are the last to go into the pond.
>
> Fishing devices used here include fishing nets, hooks, baskets, spears and a
> commonly used fishing device called “Wusung” (netted pieces of sticks,
> cylindrical in shape, with an open top) used to trap fish in the water at low
> levels. One puts a hand through the opening at the top of the device to pull out
> the fish trapped, which in some cases may in fact be a snake!
>
> The fishing goes on for two to four hours at the end of which people return to
> their various villages usually with large quantities of fish, and in the case of
> big ponds crocodiles are caught and/or big snakes killed. Sometimes people get
> hurt.
>
> Wuli and Sandu are very well known for such traditional festivals and
> fishing activities which create mutual understanding and respect between
> peoples of the various villages. These fishing activities can be traced back to
> over three hundred years.
>
> Have a good day, Gassa.
>
>
> There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see,
> yet small enough to solve. -Mike- Levitt-
>
>
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