The owner of a Norwich pub has launched an appeal for disused fishing equipment donations.
Yvonne Wright, owner of The Bridge Inn, Lenwade, has recently returned from a fishing trip on the Gambian coast, where she was shocked by the poor quality of the equipment fishermen based their livelihoods upon.
Mrs Wright said: 'There's a basic lack of facilities and their equipment is beyond substandard. Any decent fishermen in the UK would throw out the equipment they are using. They are getting by with the absolute basics: rusty hooks, broken lines, bent rods held together with twisted bamboo.
'The fishing line for these people is their lifeline, it is how they eat. It is not a matter of leisure as it is for us.'
Mrs Wright is planning on returning to Gambia in January with the intention of donating fishing equipment to communities in desperate need.
Mrs Wright said: 'I was touched by their struggle. West Africa is extremely poor and it feels like a lot is being done to support education and wildlife, but nothing is being done for the fishermen.
'We donated our catch while we were there, which meant they were happy for an evening, but we want to help them in a way that will make a difference in the long term.
'I think every fisherman has got bits in the back of their garage or in their tackle box that they haven't used for years, gathering dust, and it could be put to great use in Gambian fishing communities.'
The Bridge Inn is located by the River Wensum, offering access to a six acre carp fishing lake, and anglers fishing the area are encouraged to bring along their surplus tackle when they next visit. Mrs Wright is permitted to take 60kg of luggage on her next trip to Gambia and she is aiming to max out this allowance with donations from anglers across the county.
Mrs Wright said she will gratefully accept all kinds of equipment on behalf of Gambian fishermen.
She said: 'Any sort of gear will do, because they fish in creeks, rivers and the sea. Predominantly the gear will be used for sea fishing, but they will adapt any sort of equipment to suit their needs.'
If you can help, please call 01603 872248, email thebridgefishery@gmail.com or visit the pub.
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