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The legal framework for fisheries comprises the Fisheries Act, 2007 and the Fisheries Regulations, 2008. The Act authorizes the Minister of Fisheries to regulate the fisheries, including by declaring special management areas for community-based fisheries (artisanal or subsistence fishing operations); and specifying measures such as establishment of open or closed seasons for specific areas and fish stocks, fish size regulation, gear and fish method restrictions, and the total allowable catch. Draft amendment regulations were prepared by the previous government, but this has been put on hold by the new fisheries administration. Enforcement is under the responsibility of the Fisheries Department in collaboration with The Gambia Navy and the Community Fisheries Centres.

All local and foreign vessels require (non-transferable) licences, valid for 1 year for artisanal fisheries; for industrial fishing vessels, the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources decides the validity period of the fishing licence (currently 3 months). Licensing is subject to conditions such as the type and method of fishing, authorized areas, use of minimum mesh size, employment of Gambian nationals, and landings, among others.

(...) The authorities indicated that foreign investment in power generation, in particular renewable energy (e.g. solar power plants), is encouraged. (...)

The main tourism season in The Gambia is from October to April, with a peak in December and January. Besides its Atlantic coast beach resorts, The Gambia's main advantages are its culture (e.g. "Roots" tourism), and its variety of wildlife and ecosystems, including abundant birdlife and natural reserves. (...)

The policy framework for the tourism subsector is provided by the National Tourism Master Plan. The Master Plan initiated a number of projects to add local value to the tourism sector, including the "Gambia is Good" (GiG) initiative, eco-tourism, river voyages, and birdwatching trips. The Gambia Tourism Board carried out a needs assessment for the sector, and the assessment report was released in June 2017.

Table A2.1 Acts of the National Assembly and selected legal notices, 2010-16
No. Acts of the National Assembly
(...)
2013
5. Marine Pollution Act, 2013 (...)
11. Renewable Energy Act, 2013
(...)
No. Selected legal notices
(...) 2012
11. Biodiversity and Wildlife Act, 2012
(...)
2014 (...)
42. Marine Pollution Act (Commencement) Order, 2014
(...)

Table A3. 4 Priority sectors for investment, 2017
Sector
(...)
Tourism (...)
• eco-tourism;
(...)
Forestry
• development of private or community forest parks or agri-forestry plantations;
(...)
Energy (...)
• renewable energy resources (solar, wind, hydro, and biochemical);
(...)

The tourist sector has experienced strong growth in recent years. Tourism grew by more than 37% in real terms in 2016 and was around four times higher than in 2010. The tourist sector is now the country's largest export sector, with a larger share of export earnings (39% in 2016) than the fishing industry and aluminium industry combined. This rapid development, which obviously has a huge positive impact, is also accompanied by a number of challenges. Almost 1.8 million tourists visited Iceland in 2016 and forecasts predict a continued increase this year. This increase in tourism has a major impact on the environment, the housing market, the labour market and most infrastructures.

(...) A carbon tax on all liquid fuels and LPG, and a resource tax on hot water were adopted in 2010. The temporary resource tax on electricity expired in 2016.

(...) In its review, the Government intends to guarantee fair taxation of self-employed persons and SME's and improve coordination of environmental taxes.