Sierra Leone enlists outside help to curb illegal fishing

Sierra Leone is seeking partnership with a US-based environmental advocacy group to help fight illegal fishing.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Food Security says sophisticated industrial shipping trawlers, driven by the lucrative European Union market, have upped their game in eluding detection, warranting a correspondent reinforcement.

But the West African country has hardly ever put up any meaningful fight against poachers mainly boarding Asian trawlers who are blamed for $30M yearly loss in revenue for the government.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will provide a sophisticated vessel as part of a package

constituted in a MoU which awaits cabinet approval.

The agreement also entails ‘free training’ for Sierra Leoneans, with Sea Shepherd providing the operating crew and technical expertise.

The government, on its part, will provide the organization`s five-man team with multiple entry business visas, logistics, and takes care of anchorage and handling of all bathing cost and port dues.

The government will also provide power and water for the boat, as well as security.

The partnership will be geared towards improving the monitoring, control and surveillance of the country`s sovereign water…, reads part of a statement issued by the ministry.

Fisheries Minister, Captain Momodou Alieu Pat Sowe, says besides monetary deprivation, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing poses the problem of depletion of certain valued fish species.

Protected coastal zones marked as breeding ground for new fish species have been specifically targeted by the illegal fishers, who sometimes use crude equipments that are banned from use.

Environmentalists and local fishermen have consistently attributed this to persistent shortage of fish in the local market, among other ills.

Violators face fines of up to $1m, but observers say fines are hardly fully enforced.

Over 80 per cent of Sierra Leoneans depend on fish for their primary source of protein.

Recently, the government commissioned a project seeking to assess the country`s fish stocks and prices in the market.

That`s part of a larger programme aimed at increasing the sector`s contribution to the national GDP, which currently stands at 10 per cent. Identified programs including ongoing exercises of diversification, value addition, review of the existing fisheries legislation and policy, all under a five-year strategic plan for fisheries development and management, are geared towards this.

Another major hurdle for the government has been improving on the quality of fish produced for outside market, notably the European market which has set conditions the Sierra Leoneans are struggling to meet.

The plan is to position fishery among the country`s main exports which are currently iron ore, diamonds, cocoa and coffee.

But for now, it seems, the threat of poachers is of more concern to guarantee availability of stocks.

Manning the 200 nautical miles protected zone has been a daunting task both in terms of personnel and logistics.

Through a MoU with the US army, a number of personnel from the Sierra Leone Navy, the police and other agencies constituting the Joint Maritime Committee handling fisheries protection have undergone some training.

But capacity still remains a major challenge, said Mr Max Konneh, Public Relations Officer of the Fisheries ministry.

Also, the large number and sophistication of the intruding vessels makes the task daintier.

Within a period of just one month, last year, three boats were detained for illegal fishing, indicating the severity of the problem.

But that couldn`t have been possible if it were not for the 2012 donation by the Isle of Man government of what was Sierra Leone`s first modern patrol boat.

Before that the Navy relied on small rowing boats with out-board motors to keep poachers on check.

The government is in the process of procuring a second vessel, with the support of the World Bank.

The Sea Shepherd deal will bring the fleet to three vessels, and it is said to be the most advance of them all.

The 13.6m motor vessel has a 3000 nautical mile range, which means it can cover several times beyond the 200 nautical mile zone of water under protection here, says Konneh.

Sierra Leone will be Sea Shepherd`s first intervention in Africa, where effort is mounting towards curbing illegal fishing.

A 2012 report by the UK-based Environmental Justice Foundation claimed West Africa loses up to $1.5 billion annually to illegal fishing.
The sub region is also thought to register the highest levels of IUU fishing in the world.
That report identified Sierra Leone as the most affected.