We drove about twenty miles south from Banjul for a visit to the Tanji fishing village. This was another authentic glimpse at a local fishing village. Tanji has a long history of fishing and has been at the center of the local fishing industry for centuries. This was probably the busiest fishing village that we visited on this trip. We saw it all from the boats coming to shore to the fish being hauled off for other markets.

It is estimated that over 2,000 people participate in the fishing related activities here in Tanji. That would include fishermen, boatmen, fish transporters, fish dryers, fish smokers, fish sellers, fish haulers, net handlers, and many more related jobs. The beach was a beehive of activity.

In the first photo, just look at all the boats all along the coast. In some places, the boats are two or three deep.

When boats come in with fish, masses of people go out to get the fish and nets, and the boats themselves. It was chaotic but everyone seemed to know their job.

The next photo is just a closer look. People haul the fish in buckets, baskets, or tubs, like the two guys in the middle of the photo with tubs of fish on their heads.

The next photo was the best I could do on the flat beach but I wanted to get a photo of the masses of people there on the beach, and everyone working.

The boats eventually get hauled ashore too. They are heavy wooden boats and very colorfully painted. You can also see the nets that need to be expertly folded.

In the last photo, some of the women at the bottom are already set to start selling their fish to whoever wants them.